


Never Too Late

by Chris_White



Series: Raven [5]
Category: Kagaku Ninja Tai Gatchaman & Related Fandoms, Kagaku Ninja Tai Gatchaman | Science Ninja Team Gatchaman
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Redemption
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-02
Updated: 2013-02-01
Packaged: 2017-11-27 21:12:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 39,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/666542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chris_White/pseuds/Chris_White
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Joe hadn't expected to wake up. He especially didn't expect to wake up in a lab with a new body, assigned the task of both taking down Sosai X and stabilizing Ken/Raven. Can he do both at once? And can he do it on his own without the rest of the team?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Much thanks to Amethyst, Daniella T, and UnpublishedWriter for their beta efforts! 
> 
> This story's title comes from Three Days Grace's song, "Never Too Late."

Joe floated on the edge of awareness. Was this death? It seemed like a boring way to spend eternity.

He was relieved when he heard, well, anything. The sounds were faint, too distant to recognize, but comforting. Until they resolved into beeps and whirrs, suggesting they were all too terrestrial. 

Physical sensation came next. At first, everything felt garbled, like old bare wires crossing and sparking. Next it surfaced as pinpricks, like blood returning to numb limbs, neither painful nor pleasant. The problem was that he shouldn't feel anything at all. Not when he remembered the crush of steel, and the satisfaction of a meaningful death. 

If this wasn't death, where the hell was he?

Later came the voices. Murmurs at first, but slowly he picked up words. _"Hakase … systems … integration …"_

Hakase? Dr. Nambu? 

No. As strange as the voices sounded, like he was hearing them through water, none of them were his mentor. Words grew into phrases, overlaid with mechanical sounds. Then, a voice coalesced.

"You should be able to hear me now, Condor Joe."

Hear, yes, but he couldn't respond. He couldn't see, either, still trapped in darkness.

"I've saved you for a higher purpose. Your strength is needed."

Strength? He couldn't even move. Something beeped faster. He'd spent enough time in medical to know that sound. His pulse.

"My name is Dr. Raphael. Your people still dangerously underestimate Galactor."

Who the hell was Raphael? Knowing that the man wasn't one of  "his people" wasn't comforting. Neither was being told they underestimated an opponent who had nearly beaten them.

"But that's why we're here. You'll do what needs to be done."

Hadn't he already? Joe felt a weird tension, like his leg was on the verge of cramping. 

"Now I must focus. We'll talk more later."

The voices faded to murmurs. Unnerved, Joe strained and listened, but it was no use. He could barely hear, couldn't open his eyes, couldn't move …

This really fucking sucked. What the hell happened?

### 

Joe's world flooded with light. He groaned, then jerked, as startled by his ability to make noise as he was by moving. 

"Don't try to get up." The man wore surgical scrubs, but Joe recognized Dr. Raphael's voice. "My work isn't complete."

"How …" Joe tried sitting up anyway. He could barely move his fingers, let alone his arms.

The doctor retrieved an instrument from a nearby cart, bending over him. "Katse's not the true leader of Galactor."

"What? What are you talking about?" He physically felt nothing as Raphael did something to his chest, then reached for another implement. Had he failed, then? Had Katse survived the crash?

"Galactor's leader is Sosai X." Raphael kept working. "When I'm finished, you'll be the perfect weapon to destroy him."

How was he still awake? How did he feel nothing? Joe tried again to do something beyond move his head and talk. It took serious effort, but he thought he felt his fingers wiggle. His toes, too.

Shouldn't there be some kind of surgical team? Frowning, Joe strained to catch a hint of a nurse or assistant. Nothing. All he could do was play along and figure out Raphael's game. "Who's Sosai X?"

The man made an odd grunt. "Sosai X is not a _who_. Sosai X is a _what_."

Joe frowned. "Cyborg?"

Raphael snorted. "Ever wonder why Galactor's technology is so superior to everyone else's?"

"They're smart." Joe kept testing his body, trying to gain more control. He watched the doctor reach inside his chest, certain he had to be hallucinating, and wondered why everything was clean. Shouldn't there be blood?

"They have outside help."

What the hell did that mean? It occurred to Joe that he didn't hear beeping. Looking around for monitors, he saw none related to things like pulse and blood pressure. "What are you doing?"

"Were you not listening? I dislike repeating myself." The man kept working.

Like he cared what the guy disliked. "Answer me."

Raphael sighed and spoke slowly, the way one might explain things to an errant child. "You need a body strong enough to match your will. This cyborg body will enable you to destroy Sosai X."

Joe only heard one word. "You're making me …"

"A cyborg. Yes."

"No," Joe growled. He was supposed to die. He'd been ready to die. "No!"

"The world needs you." Raphael didn't sound like he was enjoying this, he merely sounded focused. Cold and efficient. 

Was he a cyborg too? Or just a monster?

Lucy … Raven …

Monsters. Just like him.

### 

Joe woke in a strange, bland room. It was mostly grey and white, and utilitarian. Still, it was better than a table in a lab.

Cyborg. How many had they fought? How many had they destroyed?

Sitting up proved interesting. Joe jerked and faltered, but he managed. As his feet touched the concrete floor, it felt cold and hard, just like it should. Hands shaking, he started inspecting himself. 

He kept expecting to find thin skin over hard metal. Instead, as he felt along his arm, it had give, like flesh and muscle covering bone. 

_"My finest creation," Raphael said. "Able to pass as human as long as you avoid medical scanners."_

Pass as human, but not human. Joe clenched his eyes shut, then focused, trying to stand. He lurched upright and smashed straight into the wall. For a moment he stayed there, steadying himself. That should have hurt. He'd felt the impact, but no pain.

His door opened. A man he didn't recognize stepped in. Another cyborg?

"It sounded like you were awake."

Joe grumbled, still leaning against the wall, "How long does this last?"

"To be fully functional? It takes a few months."

"Months?" He groaned, tentatively trying to stand on his own.

"First, you'll relearn how to move day-to-day. Then there's adjusting to your heightened strength and abilities." 

The man stayed in the doorway. Joe wavered on his feet, flailing, before leaning back into the wall. "How long have I been here?"

"Four-and-a-half months."

Joe swallowed. A lot could happen in nearly five months. "What's it like out there?"

He heard a voice, familiar and distant. Raphael? His visitor had leaned back, looking down the hall. 

"Be right there, Doctor." The man turned back to Joe. "Come along if you like. My name is Ulf. I'll assist with your physical therapy."

"Great." Joe watched his supposed helper leave. An attempt to walk across the room became a mad dash, slamming into the wall on the opposite side of the hallway. It was like trying to drive a race car with a jammed accelerator, if he was only used to driving big, lumbering trucks.

Catching up to Ulf wasn't fun. After a few minutes of jerky staggering, Joe found himself arriving in what looked like a mad scientist's lab from one of Jinpei's corny movies. Except, instead of beakers spewing smoke, the room was filled with crazy electrical equipment. 

A place for servicing machines. Joe shuddered. Was this the room he'd spent the last four months in? Was this where he was built?

Stepping further into the lab, he saw that Raphael had someone new on his table. The doctor muttered something to Ulf, who turned and fetched a tray, so Joe took advantage of their distraction to look around. He saw no signs of Galactor's infamous logo, no hints that he was really in enemy hands. 

Raphael claimed to have fished him out of the wreckage after the crash. How many people could make such sophisticated cyborgs? He had the bad feeling that there were less than a half dozen in the world, if there were even that many.  

So who made Raven? 

A chill like cold fingers crept along Joe's spine. If his broken body could be pulled from a crushed mess of steel, then …

Slowly, carefully, he moved closer to Raphael and Ulf. When Ulf stepped aside to grab a tray, the sight of tattoos confirmed Joe's fears. "Raven?"

"He was your prototype," said the doctor. "Now he's your partner. He'll help you defeat Sosai X."

Joe gripped the table he was using for support. The metal started to buckle. " _You_ made him? For Galactor?"

He could hear Raphael's heartbeat. It stayed steady, not accelerating. 

"By the time I understood Sosai's true aim," said the doctor, "I was unable to leave. I knew that, one way or another, Raven would be the key to my escape, but that I couldn't rely on him alone to achieve my objective."

Step by awkward step, Joe worked his way closer, grabbing whatever was handy to steady himself. Some equipment snapped and broke, his grip too harsh. He couldn't care less. 

"I was _trying_ to set him free," Joe growled.

"And you did." 

Joe drew near the table. On it Raven lay limp, looking peaceful and asleep. Or, as peaceful as someone with their chest wall peeled open could look. Everything inside him looked wrong, from the metallic bones to the wiring and circuitry spidering through his system. 

Definitely not human. Feeling sick, Joe fumbled for a seat, all the while wondering if he really felt sick at all. Was that possible? 

Ulf brought him a chair. 

Joe sat heavily. This was all wrong. But … if a cyborg was a walking, talking computer … computers could be programmed … 

He glanced toward Raven, daring to hope. "Can you fix his mind?"

"I can't repair the damage to his mind," said Raphael. "It's not physical."

"Then what good is all of this!" Joe cursed and swept out a hand, crumpling a piece of equipment that got in his way.

"This personality is like a cup." Raphael's pulse remained perfectly steady as he gestured toward his patient. "Katse filled it with poison. You can fill it with something else."

Joe huffed. Hippy bullshit. "Like what?" 

The doctor shrugged. "I create strong bodies. Rebuilding his mind is your problem."

"K'so …" Joe considered breaking the tray over Raphael's head. Looking for a distraction, he realized Ulf had never answered him. "What's happened outside?"

"Galactor regroups," said Raphael. "Either Katse is dead or wounded. If he's dead, Sosai X will merely create a new leader."

Joe took the story at face value for the moment. This could be an elaborate trap. "Who are the likely candidates?"

The doctor turned to fix him with a sharp glare. "Do you not listen? He'll _create_ a new leader. Another mutant of superior intelligence, with no loyalty to the human race."

Joe stared, trying to process that. A _"mutant of superior intelligence_. _"_ Someone who thought rings around the brilliant minds at the ISO, around Dr. Nambu and the security services' top tacticians.

Fuck. "Nambu needs to know."

Raphael had turned back to his work. Without looking, he said, "You may involve him as you wish, but don't bring him or his people here, and don't lose sight of the real objective."

After listening to the doctor for months, the "real objective's" name came easily:  Sosai X. Now that Joe could move, he knew he should call Nambu, but this could be a trap. He didn't want to feed the ISO disinformation. Worse, they'd know he'd "survived." They'd want to know how. 

Joe stared down at his hands, flexing them. This was a new body. The skin should be smooth, like a newborn's. Instead it was calloused, broken by the fine scars his training, fighting, and working on cars had created. A perfect duplicate, but just a duplicate. 

Like Raven. He glanced to the table, wincing when Raven twitched. Was it possible? Could he coax Ken back out? Reunite with his best friend?

See if he really wanted something more?

Such a tempting thought, seductive as any Devil Star. There lay the danger. He'd already failed Ken enough. Reality or trap, dream or nightmare, Joe knew he'd never sort it all out until he regained control. For starters, that meant learning how to handle this body. 

Time to try leaving the lab like a normal person, rather than crashing around like a drunken bull. Joe pushed carefully to his feet. He could do this. He could explore this place, figure out what he was dealing with, and decide what to do from there. If that decision meant blowing them all into oblivion, so be it. One way or another, he and Ken would both be free.

### 

_Raven couldn't move, couldn't breathe. Twisted metal was everywhere. For the first time outside of punishment and adjustments, he felt pain, real pain. He also smelled smoke. Fire was coming._

_"This way! Hurry!"_

_More voices. None familiar. Steel creaked and groaned. Something slick slid over his skin, warm, but cooling and thickening. Smelled like copper. Blood._

_"The Condor's with him. Tell Raphael the Condor's with him! Life support, hurry!"_

_Hurry, don't hurry. He wasn't alone. He'd be okay._

_Not alone. Never again._

"Enough napping, Raven. Wake up."

Dr. Raphael's voice pulled him shuddering from the dark. Raven blinked and stretched, lifting a hand to block bright lights. He felt woozy, like the world was liquid, his body floating.

"Raven, who is your master?"

An image of Master appeared in his mind. "Lord Berg Katse of Galactor." 

White hot pain lanced through him. Once it passed, he lay there shaking. How could that answer be wrong?

"Raven, who is your master?"

He looked up at Dr. Raphael, not understanding. "Lord Berg Katse of Galactor."

Pain, complete and all-consuming. What was he doing wrong?

### 

Joe woke to screaming. He leapt to his feet, heart hammering, then put his hand on his chest. His rapid pulse felt so real.

Another scream, sharp and terrible, jolted Joe back into action. Grateful for over two months of learning to control this souped up body, he rushed to the hall, finding Ulf down by the lab. "What's happening?"

"Dr. Raphael's reprogramming Raven." 

"Reprogramming?" At the next shrill scream, Joe tried to enter the lab. 

Ulf kept his arm out, blocking the attempt. "Don't interfere."

"That's not reprogramming," Joe snarled. "That's torture."

"Right now," said Ulf, his voice low, "Raven sees Berg Katse as his master. Katse might still live. Those chains _must_ be broken."

The next scream nearly tore Joe's heart out. "There has to be another way."

"There isn't." Ulf's voice sounded strained as he spoke between screams. "Not without further damaging his mind."

Raven's sobs reminded Joe of frightened children. He'd rescued enough of them, rushing through the streets of cities under attack. "At least give him a break."

Ulf shook his head. "Best to rip the bandage off quickly. We have to trust Dr. Raphael."

Trust a man who'd made him a machine? Who'd never asked what _he_ wanted? Joe clenched his hands. "What's the goal? Raphael's his new master?"

"Yes." Ulf continued watching, his arm still out to block passage. "He'll imprint Raven with you and I as lieutenants. If anything happens to Dr. Raphael, you'll automatically become Raven's master."

The repeated screams were making Joe sick. "With no reprogramming?"

"With no reprogramming." 

He swallowed thickly, relieved to know this wouldn't have to be repeated. "Make Raven his own master."

Ulf grimaced. "Raven's dangerously unstable. Do you really want to risk it?"

To spare Ken this torture? Joe desperately wanted to. Even then, though, he knew the torture couldn't stop. Not until the reprogramming was complete. "Will he have to keep hurting him like this? Even after the reprogramming?" 

"I don't know." Ulf shrugged. "You've dealt with Raven more than I have."

Another scream had Joe ready to shove Ulf out of the way. He had to remind himself that this would keep Raven from returning to Katse. Gritting his teeth, he decided Raphael either had nerves of steel, or a heart as cold as ice. The man kept going, kept pushing, ignoring sobs and pleas and scream after scream. 

Now nine months after his "death," Joe found himself wondering more than ever what Raphael _really_ wanted. Did the rest of them have the same mechanism? How could he possibly tell? All he knew was that he'd never seen Raphael make Ulf collapse in agony. 

Though Ulf wasn't exactly a trouble-maker. Still, Joe knew he'd given Raphael enough Condor stares to worry most people with a pulse. The doctor hadn't activated any crazy pain on him, either.

Ulf let out a sigh. That's when Joe realized the place had gone blessedly quiet. 

"It's done." Ulf dropped his arm. "Go to him if you want."

Joe could hear Raven sobbing from the hall. He peeked around the corner, seeing Raven still on the table, curled into a ball as his whole body shook with his crying. For a moment, Joe wondered who was really the monster. Them? Or their creator?

After a moment's hesitation, Joe entered the lab. Raven lay facing the other direction, so Joe walked around the table, wanting to gauge his former enemy's reaction once he was spotted. Except Raven had his eyes clenched shut.

At first, Joe resolved to wait. Problem was, even as Raven slowly calmed, he looked so damn pathetic. And naked. Very naked. Trying not to stare at the extensive tattoos made Joe feel even more awkward. 

Not knowing what else to do, he cleared his throat. No reaction. Tentatively, he stepped closer, touching Raven's hair. Again, no reaction. Now, he could feel Raven's — Ken's? — trembling. Silently promising he'd find a way to make this right, Joe stroked his hair, disappointed when he barely reacted.

He was calming down, though, sniffling instead of sobbing. His trembling grew less pronounced. Joe kept smoothing his hair, hoping Ken would wake. Raven wasn't needed anymore. 

Ulf stepped in close. "I've set up the last room on the left for him."

Nodding, Joe kept stroking that unruly hair. "Want to see your room?"

A shrug was the only answer. Joe wanted to push him, but he looked exhausted. "If you can't walk, I'll carry you. That okay?"

When he saw a slight nod, Joe carefully scooped his friend into his arms. He'd carried Ken before, but never so easily, which added to the surreal feeling. It didn't seem possible. How was this frightened, shaking creature also the indestructible lunatic who broke his team's bodies?

Joe carried him to the room. Once there, he settled his charge into bed, watching him curl back into a tight ball. Was this Ken or Raven? Whatever Galactor did to Ken, however they broke him, Joe feared that this trembling wreck was all that remained.

"No one will hurt you anymore." Joe pulled a blanket over him, keeping his voice soft but firm. 

Still no response. After taking a moment to touch that chocolate hair one more time, reassuring himself that Ken was really there, Joe turned to go. The moment he shut off the light, he heard a whimper.

Joe turned. "What's wrong?"

"Ghosts." 

Cyborg hearing made it trivial to catch the faint whisper, the single word laced with fear. Frowning, Joe tried to guess the appropriate response. "Do you want the light on?"

Hair rustled against cloth. A nod. Joe flicked the switch, watched his charge relax, then left the room. Great. Gatchaman was afraid of the dark. When he spotted Ulf in the hall, he said, "Please tell me cyborgs can get drunk."

Ulf's chuckle wasn't entirely reassuring. "If you try hard, you can manage a buzz."

Joe groaned. "I'll take what I can get." 

For just a bit, he'd try anything that let him forget about ghosts and screams.


	2. Chapter 2

_Twisted metal … a sickening crunch, his leg crushed under a beam … pain, so much pain …_

Raven let out a cry, jerking to get free, but he wasn't trapped. He looked around the strange room, slowly absorbing his situation. Still alive. A new home, a new Master, and … did he remember the Condor?

That possibility lured him from his bed. Exploring his room, he found plain street clothes but nothing else. He'd only ever worn combat gear, so he looked over them in confusion, finally pulling on a pair of jeans and a random shirt.

Now to explore. Raven slipped from his room, working down the hall. This had to be the living quarters. Lots of doors, all leading to identical rooms, and most of them were empty.

Finally he found one that was occupied. The light was off, so he quietly turned it on. Caramel hair. Jackpot. 

Would the Condor hate him? Watching his sleeping form, Raven remembered strong arms around him, carrying him. He crept further in, reaching the bed. Looking down at his quarry's handsome, angular features, he bit his lip. Did he dare?

Raven shivered, remembering those usually scowling lips on his. With slow, careful movements, he crawled onto the bed. His pulse raced as he held himself still, drinking in every detail of that rugged face.

Could he get away with a kiss? Raven licked his lips and started leaning in. He was almost there when steel-grey eyes snapped open. Letting out a startled yelp, the Condor shoved, sending Raven slamming into the ceiling before falling back on top of him.

Bits of plaster rained down on his head. They stared at each other a moment, then Raven grinned. "Hi."

Slowly, the Condor's eyes narrowed. "There's this thing called personal space. Get off of me."

What fun was that? Raven grinned, propping his elbows on the Condor's chest. "Why?"

"Seriously. Get out of my face." 

Raven was too busy admiring those almond-shaped eyes, with their hint of blue. He found himself roughly shoved, falling onto the floor, and rolled to his feet with a laugh. 

By then, the Condor was up as well. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I wanted a kiss." Raven stepped in closer, but the Condor moved away. Soon they were walking in a slow circle. He smelled the thrill of a chase. 

"And you thought sneaking up while I was sleeping was your best shot?" 

Raven licked his lips. "Well, you're up. You could kiss me now."

They continued their circling. The Condor looked wary, which gave Raven another thrill. Just when he thought his quarry would give in, a man stepped into the doorway.

The Condor glanced at him. "What?" 

While he was distracted, Raven surged forward, slamming the Condor back against the wall. He leaned in, stealing a kiss with a pleased shiver, then his quarry shoved again. Raven hit the opposite wall hard before landing on the Condor's bed. 

Raven grinned wider. The bed. He was on the bed.

"Dr. Raphael said you can begin training at any time," said the stranger.

"What kind of training?" 

 The Condor wanted him, so why was he still alone on the bed? Raven sat up, frowning.

"Combat. You and Raven." The guy chuckled. "I'll show you where to gear up, and to the training room."

"Good."

Still frowning, Raven stood. The Condor followed the stranger from the room, so Raven followed, sulking. They ended up in a place with lots of cabinets and drawers, full of weapons and gear, and Raven immediately recognized his own. 

He stripped and pulled on the form-fitting suit, enjoying the tingle of nano-technology integrating with his circuitry. Then came his boots, but something was missing. "Where's my gloves?"

"No weapons," said the stranger. "Not yet."

Raven grumbled. He liked his gloves. By the time he was ready, the Condor had nearly finished dressing in a similar grey outfit. 

The stranger led them to a cavernous training room. As they stepped inside, the Condor paused. "Any specific goal?" 

"Just get used to your new power and speed. Raven, don't hold back."

Why would he? When the Condor started stretching, Raven didn't see the point, so he didn't bother. Instead, he leaned against the wall and waited.

"So," said the Condor, finally, "let's fight."

When the Condor gestured for him to come closer, Raven did. At first he let the Condor lead, easily dodging punches and kicks. That quickly grew boring, so he danced around, still evading though he was only half-paying attention. They needed music. Next time, he'd bring some.

"How the hell do you have so much energy after sleeping nine months?" 

Raven laughed. The Condor was going all-out now, or at least as fast and hard as he did when he was human. His former master had made him study each team member's fighting style. The Condor fought with raw power, ferociously taking down enemies as swiftly as possible. To counter that, Raven waited until the Condor had fully committed to a move. Once he did, Raven used his superior speed, calling on cyborg reflexes to perfectly counter each attack.

Unfortunately, that also made the fight boring. Raven felt sluggish, like he was fighting through water. He blocked a punch to the stomach, a kick to the head, and a flurry of other moves so easily that he nearly yawned. 

Finally he'd had enough. It was time to play. "He said not to hold back."

The Condor's eyes narrowed. With a grin, Raven slammed both hands forward, hitting him hard enough to throw him off his feet. As the Condor twisted, rolling to get back up, Raven tore across the floor. He picked up a good head of speed, then slammed into the Condor, driving him against the far wall.

"Shimatta, you hit like a truck." The Condor panted, his eyes wide. 

"Does it hurt?" Raven leaned in, liking the feel of that breathless, hard body against him.

The question earned him a blink. "No."

Grinning, Raven tried to kiss him. The Condor shoved, and Raven skidded back, laughing. _Now_ they'd have some fun.

### 

Joe stumbled out of training, exhausted. Anything beyond human speed and power didn't come easily. He didn't know how Raven did it: faster than air one moment, more solid than steel the next. Worse, Raven practically danced from the room. Joe lumbered like an old man babysitting a pre-teen. 

They found Ulf in the equipment room. The guy showed them where to stow everything, and Raven frowned. "I like my suit."

"You don't need it here." Ulf held out his hand.

Sulking, Raven stripped it off. Joe did his best not to stare, but the tattoos looked so damn wrong. Front and back, top to bottom, Raven's entire left side was decorated with ornate dark birds and feathers. If he didn't try to picture Ken's reaction, the look was kind of hot and bad-ass. Ken would _never_ have done this, though. Despite the fact that Nambu had forbidden even hidden tats, Ken wouldn't have risked his undercover work through recognizable marks. 

Joe suddenly saw sky-blue eyes fixed on him, and winced. Busted. This being Raven, the guy grinned, not bothering to fasten his jeans. Fortunately, Joe had finished changing. 

Raven sidled over, all lethal grace, and leaned back against the counter. "Like what you see?"

"Uh …" Joe realized the word "hot" had actually passed through his head. He searched for something to say that didn't sound brain-dead. "Just noticing your tattoos."

Raven bit his lower lip, flashing a coy look. "They're nice, huh?"

"They're cool." What had Raphael said? Something about a cup that needed to be filled. What kind of hippy crap was that? 

"You can touch them, if you want." 

Raven stepped in so close that Joe could feel the heat of his body. For two machines, it all felt so real. Especially the stiffening he felt happening below.

This was his chance. His first opening. Joe knew it was clumsy, but he had to try. "I'd, uh, rather talk to Ken."

The transformation was astounding. One moment Raven looked young, sexy and flirting. In the next, his expression darkened, anger twisting his features. "I'm _not_ him."

Joe was oddly glad for the reaction. It meant Raven was aware of Ken, one way or another. 

"No," Joe said, "but you're borrowing his body."

Raven started shaking, his face going red. "This is _my_ body. All of it. Mine."

Anger tipped toward rage. That much was obvious. Joe almost felt bad, but Raven wasn't a real person. He wanted Ken back. "Really? Where were you born? Where did you grow up?"

Raven flexed his hands. His whole body trembled, and Joe suddenly realized he'd pissed off a volcano. One wrong move and it would blow.

"This is _my_ body," Raven repeated, his voice practically hoarse. "You're trying to trick me. Master said you'd try to trick me."

Joe considered backing off, but he knew drawing Ken out wouldn't be easy. "That was Katse. Did Raphael say I'd try to trick you?"

Sky-blue eyes narrowed. Joe watched Raven chew on that, now both pissed and confused, and pressed his advantage. "It's safe, Ken. Talk to me."

Raven took a step away, coiled like an animal backed into a corner. One wrong vibe and he'd strike. Joe waited, letting him get the distance he needed. "It's safe, Ken."

Just for a moment, Joe thought he saw a flicker in Raven's eyes. A clank from the hall jerked Raven back to alert. He took off, vanishing into Raphael's base. 

Joe let him go, pondering. That was interesting. Maybe this would work.

### 

The next morning, Raven settled on the floor in the corner, knees drawn to his chest, watching the Condor sleep. How many times had he fantasized about killing the man? Every time, his master had forbidden it, ordering him to inflict only pain and humiliation.

He had a new master now, though. Would Raphael let him? Raven shuddered, knowing he'd be alone with the ghosts, but every day, the Condor called one out by name. If the Condor was dead, maybe that ghost would follow and leave him alone.

Chewing a knuckle, Raven considered it. The doctor hadn't punished him so far. Plus, the Condor's death wouldn't be permanent, right? Cyborgs could be repaired. Maybe he could just kill the Condor a little.

Something to think about. He stood, restless, and slipped from the room. No more sitting around. The Condor was too slow, unsatisfying to fight. There was another option, though. It didn't take long to find Ulf, he was taking inventory in the equipment room. 

Raven watched him, itching for his gloves. "Train with me."

Ulf stood, looking him up and down, then inclined his head. "Why not?"

As Ulf laid out their gear, Raven stripped. He pulled on his suit, his boots, and thrilled to see his gloves. With them on his hands, he felt complete.

 Closing his eyes, he did a systems check, making sure all of his gear was integrated. The jets responded to his command, forming and then vanishing. His talons extended one at a time. He retracted them, before sliding them out again all at once.

Raven licked his lips. Mouth dry with excitement, he entered the training room. A real fight. That's what he needed. A real opponent, an equal, someone worth the effort. Ulf better be worth it. If he wasn't, Raven would tear him apart and demand better.

The Condor was no challenge. He needed a challenge. He wanted to play.

### 

Being a ninja made Joe a light sleeper. He'd heard his door open, and knew that he wasn't alone. Maybe next time he should lock the door. Though, he doubted it would do any good.

Since he didn't want to give himself away, Joe remained still, listening to Raven's fidgeting. Or was that Ken? That thought made it harder to feign sleep, but if Ken was working up the courage to say hello, Joe didn't want to spook him.

Then Raven finally stood and left. By then, of course, Joe was wide awake. Bastard.

Sighing, he got out of bed, and pulled on some clothes. When he left his room, the base seemed awfully quiet. Raphael was in his lab working, muttering to himself as usual, but there was no sign of Ulf. Raven wasn't underfoot, either. 

"They're in the training room," said Raphael without looking up. "Go to the observation deck."

"Thanks." Joe wandered that way, curious. He'd never seen Ulf fight. Hell, he'd never seen two cyborgs fight each other.

As he approached the training room, he spotted a stairway he'd never used before. It took him into a mostly dark room with a floor-to-ceiling window, much like the observation area back at Crescent Coral Base, and Joe fought back a wave of homesickness. 

Raphael allowed him to watch the news and do research on what was happening outside. Things were quiet, lulled, but definitely still in motion. In the nine months since his supposed death, most of the team should have healed. Unfortunately, Galactor also had time to regroup. Raphael's network of cyborgs was busy collecting and collating information, ruthless and efficient. When Joe was ready to return to action, Raphael would have targets and assignments, pointing him where he could do the most damage or provide the most help. 

And not just him. Him and Raven, side by side.

Joe focused on the training room. On the other side of the glass, Ulf and Raven were nearly blurs, streaking about at inhuman speeds. Just as he'd discovered with movement, Joe found he had to remember he was capable of keeping up. Only then, with intense concentration, could he watch every detail as they fought.

Steady Ulf fought with confident ease. He let Raven come at him, slashing and whirling like a force of nature. Most attacks he countered, their bodies audibly crashing together, but some managed to slip through. Joe watched Ulf let Raven drive him back, each retreat met with grim determination. 

Raven's attacks were relentless. Just as he had against the team, Raven threw himself wholly into every move, fighting with a ferocious joy driven purely by instinct. So different than Ken, who always thought five steps ahead, turning combat into a deadly game of chess. 

Still, Raven retained Ken's signature dancer's grace. Terrible and beautiful, all at once, he drove Ulf further before leaving an opening so small that Joe barely spotted it. In that fraction of a second, Ulf surged. Joe could swear he _felt_ the flurry of blows Ulf delivered to Raven's stomach, chest, and head. The power behind each hit was breathtaking, each knocking Raven back a meter or more. 

Lesson apparently learned, Raven flipped backward, arcing impossibly far across the training room floor. He laughed, flashed a gleeful grin, then darted around the room like Jinpei on crack on Christmas morning. As Joe watched, he wondered how he was supposed to keep that wildness contained. How the hell did _he_ become the calm one? 

But this was just temporary. Once they were done, Raven should be calmer. It might be easier to reach Ken. In the meantime, Joe was tempted to join them. Was he really capable of the same speed? The same power? 

At least there was _some_ benefit to losing his humanity. If he could become their equal, then no matter what Sosai X threw at them, he and Raven had a good chance of completing their mission. Raven just had to help him get close enough. The bomb Joe carried in his chest would do the rest.

Goodbye Sosai, goodbye Galactor. Goodbye both of them, too, if Raven couldn't get out in time.

Joe wasn't sure how he felt about that. He wouldn't deny Ken his revenge, not after what he'd suffered, but Raven wasn't Ken. Somehow he had to draw Ken out before it happened. If Ken was going to die with him — yet again — Joe wanted him to have the satisfaction of knowing why.

But how? This would be easier with Nambu's help, but Joe still couldn't bring himself to make contact. How could the others trust him now? How could they possibly trust Raven?

No, he had to do this himself. He and Ken had already been mourned, Ken twice since Raven should have died from the EMP and crash. The less the others knew, the better. 

Let them move on. He and Raven were walking dead, no more than ghosts. They had to stay that way. No more pain. The others had hurt enough.

### 

The moment Raven spotted the Condor, he knew. Ghosts whispered, eager to boast and threaten, but Raven didn't want to listen. So when the Condor approached, Raven shied away. Before the Condor could speak, Raven fled the room, letting Ulf stow his gear. 

Their new home wasn't large, but he kept to the shadows. After a while, the Condor gave up. Or, at least, Raven had to assume so. He'd found a nook in the cave that served as both garage and hangar, hidden and just big enough to let him sit, draw his knees up, and vanish. 

Unfortunately, hiding in the shadows brought the ghosts closer. Raven shuddered at their clammy hands in his hair, memory of pain pinching his scalp. He nearly shot out of the nook, but the clatter of tools kept him still, not sure now which option was worse.

"Which car's mine?" 

The Condor's deep voice drove most of the ghosts back. Drawing his knees in tighter, Raven tried to ignore the one that remained. 

"This one," said Ulf. "I assure you it's running at optimal performance."

Metal clanked against metal. "I'll be the judge of that."

Raven listened as the two of them got to work. They barely spoke, and their silence allowed the ghosts to loom closer. He screwed his eyes shut, trying to ignore them, but a cold hand gripped his arm. With a single yank, searing pain shot through his wrist. It took everything he had to stay quiet. Rocking, he tried to tune them out.

_Be good, boy, or you'll be next …_

Biting his lip, Raven clung to the knowledge that his new master hadn't uttered the same threats. Master hadn't touched him, either, and he spoke to the Condor and Ulf almost as equals, rather than subjects. Was it good that Master mostly ignored him? Had he done something wrong? Or had he done something right?

Voices murmured in the hangar. Ulf was helping, lifting the car so the Condor could slide under the chassis. They sounded comfortable working together, talking to one another, yet no one wanted to talk to _him._  

Why was that? Raven chewed on a knuckle, feeling terribly adrift and lonely. His former master hadn't created him to make friends. It wasn't allowed back then, but was it now? 

Listening to the low rumble of the Condor's voice, Raven found himself soothed, and filled with longing. He had to figure out how to get the Condor to talk to _him_ , instead of looking for ghosts. Or maybe … 

Raven shivered. Maybe it wasn't _talk_ that he really wanted. No one here really touched him outside of combat or adjustments. Touch, he needed it. Warm hands on his body, a warm mouth on his skin.

"Thanks," said the Condor. "It's looking good."

"Not a problem." 

Tools clanked as the two men gathered their things. As Raven heard them leave, he smiled, realizingwhat he needed to do. Once he was sure they were gone, he slipped from his hiding place. He'd show the Condor that there was no need to talk to ghosts. All the Condor needed was _him_.


	3. Chapter 3

Joe didn't really _need_ a shower. After all, his machine of a body didn't sweat. He found he liked the ritual just the same, though. The heat felt good against his — admittedly artificial — skin. If he closed his eyes, the pulsing water even felt like it was loosening tight muscles. 

After all those years fighting for the ISO, with its mission toward a cleaner Earth, a long shower was definitely a guilty pleasure. Joe figured he made up for his extra water use by not eating much. Plus, he could barely get a buzz now, let alone get drunk. Every guy needed a vice.

By the time he shut off the water he felt relaxed. He stepped out of the tub, toweling off, and tried unsuccessfully to keep his thoughts from drifting to Raven. How was he supposed to draw Ken out if Raven ran like a rabbit every time he came around?

A sound from his bedroom made him freeze. Joe peeked out of the bathroom, blinking at the sight of Raven on his bed. One very naked Raven, lounging on his right side, which offered Joe a view of those tattoos in exquisite detail. The ornate blackwork curled sinuously along Raven's skin, even on delicate flesh that Joe never wanted to imagine needles coming near. 

Well, he _had_ wanted Raven to stop running away. Wary of what the universe might throw at him next, to prove it had a sense of humor, Joe finished drying off. Raven hadn't moved, apparently having fallen asleep. A nap had been Joe's goal as well, but now that he had the equivalent of a rabid tiger in his bed, he considered using a spare room.

First he had to get dressed. With all his ninja training, he should be able to silently open a drawer. The moment he tried, though, Raven jerked awake.

Shimatta.

Sky-blue eyes opened wide. Ken would have looked uncomfortable, or at least guilty. Not Raven. He bit his lip with a naughty smile, stretching languidly, more cat than bird.

"What are you doing here?" Joe resisted hitting himself in the head. _Smooth question, Asakura_. 

"Waiting for you." Raven crooked a finger with a little grin.

Joe eyed him. This was fucking surreal. "This a habit of yours? Lounging naked in people's beds?"

"Sometimes." He slipped onto his back, sliding a hand down his stomach. "Don't you want me?"

"Uh …" Joe searched for a response that might land them somewhere between attempted homicide and gay sex.

Those blue eyes slowly narrowed. "What? I'm not good enough for you?"

K'so, he was about to meet a Raven scorned, and it wasn't looking pretty. Joe held up his hands. "Woah, I didn't say that. I've just never been into guys."

Raven's gaze flicked down Joe's body and back up. A brief moment of panic almost made Joe look down too, wondering if his equipment was calling him a liar. But he didn't dare look away from the bundle of crazy on his bed. 

With a sudden smile, Raven rose to his knees. He licked his lips and, heaven help him, Joe felt something stir. Telling himself it had just been a long time, Joe imagined buckets of ice water. "I really don't think this is a good idea."

That blue-eyed gaze sparkled with mischief. "One mouth feels like another. I promise you, I know how to use mine."

Joe could feel the heat radiating off of his face. Really, Ken was welcome to wake the hell up at any time. "You expect me to trust my favorite part between _your_ teeth?"

Raven's impish grin definitely killed any urges. The nutter ran his tongue over his teeth, and Joe shuddered at the implied threat. 

"I'm tired," he said, rapidly losing patience. "Just get off of my bed so I can sleep."

To his surprise, Raven did get up. Of course, it was to step in close, lips curling in a snarl. "There's nothing wrong with me. Why don't you like me?"

Joe just wanted to sleep. He put a hand on Raven's chest, pushing him back. "We're not having this discussion. Not right now. If Ken wants to talk, though, he knows where to find me."

This time, the volcano exploded. Rage twisted that innocent face, then Raven slammed him back against the wall. Two weeks of sparring paid off as Joe surged and grabbed Raven's arm, taking him by surprise with a true burst of speed. He used that split unprepared second to spin, propelling Raven out the door.

 _Damn_ it felt good to have the upper hand. Before Raven could charge back in, Joe slammed his door, then locked it. Not that it would do him any good. With all the cyborgs here, were the doors specially reinforced?

Raven banged anyway, the whole door vibrating against Joe's back. Ken had always been a bit moody, but damn, Raven had the mood swings from hell. The pounding stopped, yet Joe didn't step away from the door, waiting. 

A shriek like a banshee followed. Joe nearly jumped out of his skin. His enhanced hearing should have let him hear Raven leave, but his ears were still ringing. Then the crash of smashing glass further down the hall said that yes, Raven had left. 

It continued for a while, followed by the duller sound of smashing furniture. Joe debated the wisdom of opening the door, then sighed, pulling on some pants and heading out.

"I'm … not … HIM!"

Joe found Ulf in the hall, hands over his ears as Raven screeched again. Trying to look nonchalant, Joe shrugged, leaning against his doorframe. "The doc left fixing his head to me. As you can see, it's going well."

Ulf chuckled, then stepped back as half a chair whipped across the hall. It hit the opposite wall, exploding into splinters. Unsure of how to handle a full-on cyborg tantrum, Joe stayed where he was, waiting. Then finally, it got quiet. 

That's when he got really nervous. He and Ulf crept forward. Joe let Ulf peer into the room first, figuring he was less likely to get something pitched at him. Ulf looked, pointed him toward the room with a sad expression, and left.

Great, so this was his problem, too. After a tentative peek, Joe stepped inside. Raven was sitting almost in a ball, rocking back and forth in the far corner. This time Joe's cyborg hearing let him clearly hear what Raven was saying, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"I know who I am … I know who I am …" 

Joe's gut twisted. He was pushing too hard. Wincing, he carefully picked his way through the room. At least Raven didn't look injured. There wasn't a mark on him.

Not sure what else to do, Joe cleared a spot on the floor, sitting next to him. He wasn't sure whether Ken or Raven was in control, but right then it didn't matter. His best friend was hurting and it was partly his fault. 

"Ssh, I'm sorry." Joe slid an arm around him, pulling him—or them—close. All Joe could do was hold him as he sobbed. How was he supposed to do this? How could he of all people, the poster boy for fucked in the head, fix a shattered mind? 

Hakase could …

Joe shoved that thought down immediately. If anything went wrong and Raven killed someone they cared about, they'd lose Ken forever. Somehow, some way, he had to do this himself.

### 

Raven lay on the floor, curled tight against the ghosts. The Condor shifted, trying to sneak away, his warm touch was immediately replaced by cold gropes. Their hands made everything hurt, his body aching like he'd been broken and battered, rough nails scraping over raw skin and injuries he didn't have.

Whimpering, Raven grabbed the Condor's leg. Even that simple touch drove them back. With a sigh, the Condor settled again, leaning back against the wall. Raven shifted closer, resting his head on that warm, solid lap. There was something about the Condor's masculine scent, his sheer presence, that made Raven feel incredibly safe.

Why was that? 

The Condor started stroking his hair. Letting out a soft sound, Raven slid closer. Soon he was drifting, ghosts held at bay, so very tired and ready to sleep.

"I'm sorry, Raven."

Raven swallowed, looking up at the Condor. He met that worried steel grey gaze and smiled, realizing the Condor just spoke to _him_. For now, that was enough. 

### 

Joe had pushed way too hard. He knew that now. However Katse broke Ken, the asshole had months to do it, and even after a year his control wasn't total. Yet here Joe was, shoving like he could fix it in days.

He might have to do what he'd been hoping to avoid. He'd have to deal with Raven as Raven, a person in his own right, instead of a living placeholder in the way of talking to Ken. _How_ to deal with this particular bundle of crazy was the big question. 

Now there was one manual he'd actually read. Talk about a sure sign of desperation. Joe rubbed at his eyes. If Raven would just fall asleep, he could escape to his own room rather than being stuck in this spare. He'd ask why the guy was so clingy, but he had the feeling the answer would make no sense.

Ghosts. Joe rolled his eyes, then closed them. Maybe he could catch some sleep while sitting up. Lying down didn't seem like a great idea. Not after Raven pulled his little oversexed stunt. 

Too bad cyborg hearing was making sleep difficult. Ulf was cleaning up Raven's room next door. From all the scraping, banging, cracking, and other racket, he might as well have been juggling chainsaws next to the bed. How the hell was Raven managing to sleep? His breathing had settled into slow and easy, his pinched features relaxing into nearly angelic. 

Joe slid just a bit forward, testing the waters. When Raven barely stirred, he started extracting himself, easing Raven's sleepy head onto his arm. 

The moment they were no longer in contact, Raven shivered, curling into a tight ball. By the time Joe reached the door, Raven started twitching in the grips of a dream. For just a moment, Joe considered returning, but he was bone tired. Maybe he needed to recharge. 

He made it through the door, then into the hall, until a keening wail brought him rushing back. Raven had curled tighter. Trembling violently, he kept making noises that sounded more frightened animal than human. With resigned clarity, Joe realized there was no escape, which only left him with one viable option. 

When the hell did he get so soft? 

Ken was going to be the death of him. Smirking, Joe realized Ken already had. The floor wasn't very comfortable, so Joe carefully lifted his sleeping companion, carrying him to the empty room next door. None of the beds in this place were very big. In order to fit both of them, Joe settled Raven as close to the wall as he could. Then he lay down, fully dressed, hoping that was enough to preserve what little dignity he had left. 

At least Raven immediately settled. The change was so quick that for a moment, Joe thought he'd been played. Except Raven just breathed softly, sleeping, instead of flipping over and getting handsy. Somehow Joe didn't see Raven as being the type to lie patiently in wait.

Ulf was still cleaning next door. Now that Joe was lying down, though, he found he could tune it out. He tried to remember how many spare rooms they had. How many more would Raven destroy?

Oh well, not his problem. This was Raphael's fault. Let him pay for repairs. And if Ulf didn't like cleaning up the messes, he could declare himself on strike. 

In the meantime, Joe would get his rest. At least with Raven in his arms, he knew Ken was safe, and could hope that Ken might take over when they woke. If Raven was still driving, though, Joe warned himself he might be in for a long slog. His patience wasn't exactly legendary. 

Still, Ken and Raven needed patience. Whatever they needed, Joe would make sure they got.

### 

Raven woke alone. Disappointed, he got up, looking for something to wear. He found a pair of sweatpants and pulled them on, finding them warm and comfortable. A quick glance at the clock told him he'd slept for a few hours. 

So where did the Condor go? Raven debated searching for him. Would that just end up calling ghosts? He wasn't sure, but the Condor finally spoke to _him_ , so maybe not.

Whispered threats from ghostly voices made the decision for him. Shivering, Raven padded through the base. He didn't find the Condor in his room, or the training area. After enough searching, he finally found his quarry in the back of the lab by the computers. 

He looked busy. Hesitating, Raven watched from the hall as the Condor read something on a computer screen. Master and Ulf weren't there. Somehow that made Raven feel safer, until a ghostly, clammy hand touched his back. Tensing, he pulled away, but it followed. 

Raven trembled as it trailed down, digging nails against wounds that couldn't exist. His whole body ached, but he shouldn't, nothing could hurt him. A vicious twist into a non-existent wound had him reeling, biting his knuckles so hard something cracked. Crying out got him punished. He didn't want to be punished.

Something jabbed his arm. Flinching, he held himself tightly. Someone started laughing, and he covered his ears, trying to make himself small. Ghostly images flared to life all around. They glared accusingly in the dark, promising mayhem and violence, monsters and terror. Raven shut his eyes tight, but there was no escape. His world tilted and warped, waking nightmares slithering toward him. 

The creatures hissed and snapped and slithered over his raw skin, then descended on him like locusts. Raven screamed and thrashed as they tore him apart. Suddenly there were hands on his wrists. A solid, warm body pinned him against the floor, and he had to blink away tears to see who it was. 

"You're safe," said the Condor, sounding a little breathless. "It's okay. You're safe."

Raven couldn't stop trembling. He let out a sob, and found himself gathered into warm arms. Rather than punishing him, the Condor held him, rocking him gently. Confused but grateful, Raven clung and slowly calmed. Once he finally stopped crying, the Condor smoothed his hair, then wiped his tears.

"I need to keep going over that intel. Come sit with me."

Sniffling, Raven nodded. He stumbled to his feet, following the Condor toward the computers. When the Condor sat, Raven settled on the floor, leaning against his leg.

"Uh, you could pull up a chair."

Did that mean the Condor wanted him to? Raven stared up at him a moment, then stood, grabbing a seat. He watched in silence for a minute or two before boredom had him fidgeting. "What are you doing?"

The Condor didn't look up from his reading. "Trying to figure out what Galactor's up to."

Raven swallowed. Master … no, his former master. "Why?"

"So I can stop them."

There was something terribly cold about Condor's tone. Ghost cold. Raven shivered. "We're not Galactor?"

That steel grey gaze fixed on him. "No. Why would you think we were?"

He stared at the floor, gripping his chair. "Then what are we? ISO?"

"No. Not them, either." The Condor frowned. "We work for Raphael."

"But Raphael's Galactor."

"No." 

Raven flinched at the sharp snap.

"He's not," said the Condor, his tone softening. "Not anymore. We're not Galactor."

"Then what _are_ we?" Raven wrung his hands. 

The Condor shook his head. "I don't know. We're not Galactor. That's good enough."

Was it? Raven wasn't so sure. How could just the few of them fight an organization as large and advanced as Galactor? Ghosts laughed all around him. His former master would find them, find and crush them. 

Then he'd be punished. A punishment that might never stop.

### 

Joe did best with a goal. Revenge, as usual, was toward the top of the list. With Raven following around him like a high-strung puppy, jumping at every shadow, Joe had all the more reason to focus on training. Intel said Galactor was pulling itself back together. He had to master this body. He had to be ready.

That meant another solid month of pushing this new body. On the surface it sounded easy, a "simple" reprogramming of muscle memory, but those old human limits acted now as an anchor. To draw on cyborg strength and speed by reflex meant repetition, which meant as much sparring as he could handle.

Constant combat and recovery left little room for thinking. That was fine by him. It also left little room for Raven to get bored. That was even better. Joe snapped out of his thoughts, realizing that Raven wasn't holding back. They were fighting at inhuman speeds, hitting hard enough to break bone. 

For the first time, realizing that didn't slow Joe down. Such a fucking rush. Was this what made Raven so manic? 

He felt invincible. Untouchable. Grinning, Joe pressed forward, driving Raven back. Blue eyes widened, sparkling with delight. Almost like old times, they fought back and forth, both vying for an advantage. 

Raven's style was more wild than Ken's. Less controlled, but effective. Joe's own style had changed as well. New body, new capabilities, different weight distribution, all of it led to adjustments, but none of it was so new anymore. 

This was _his_ body, now. Mastered. Distracted by the realization, Joe misjudged Raven's speed. One swift kick to the stomach sent him flying. Before he could roll up, Raven pounced with the agility of a cat, and Joe grimaced. He wasn't eager to test a knee to cyborg nuts. 

Instead of a vicious knee, he got a tongue in his mouth, and a lean body pressing against him. Joe was so shocked, he just lay there. 

Raven laughed and leapt away. "Gotcha!"

_K'so … Again … He fucking did it again …_

Surging to his feet, Joe took off after him. What had started as sparring became a full-on chase. Raven cackled like the loon he was as they sped all over the training area. When he slipped and lost his footing, Joe took no pity. He slammed into his target, holding on as they slid and tumbled across the floor.

Once they finally stopped, Joe found himself on top. Beneath him panted a bright-eyed Raven, who made no attempt to escape. At first he thought Raven might hurt. They could take a lot of damage, but they weren't invincible. Then Raven licked his lips, reaching up.

Joe froze as Raven threaded fingers through his hair. He didn't resist as Raven pulled his head down, nor as Raven started kissing him. Somewhere along the way, Joe realized he was kissing back, his own pulse spiking as Raven sighed beneath him. 

Right then, at that moment, Joe felt so fucking _alive_. They didn't clank together like machines. Raven felt warm and pliant, hard and soft in all the right places, and Joe's body responded in all the right ways. 

The world flipped, Raven rolling them over. Joe found himself on his back, that lean form grinding against him. When Raven kissed down his chin, throat, and chest, Joe told himself he should stop this. He leaned onto his elbows, opening his mouth to speak, only to find Raven watching him. 

That hungry stare through chocolate bangs shorted out his brain. With deft fingers, Raven freed Joe's cock from its high-pressure confines. It snapped to attention, practically slapping against his abdomen.

Joe groaned with relief. This was an awful idea. He was mesmerized, though, by the raw lust in Raven's eyes. As a teasing tongue ran up the front of his shaft, Joe fell back, surrendering. Later he could hate himself. Right then, all he wanted was that hot, wet mouth. 

Hot, wet, and skilled. When Raven took him in, Joe could only moan, letting his hips drive deeper. Doubts he hadn't dared admit burned away. Everything definitely worked. 

All systems were go. Everything was A-fucking-okay.


	4. Chapter 4

Raven listened from the hall, gripping the corner. The Condor sounded so angry against Master's cold calm.

"I can't take him. He's not ready!" 

"He needs the exposure. Take him."

The Condor snarled and stomped past him. "Time to suit up."

Raven followed, shaking. He hadn't been outside since Master revived him, and not once had he complained. His former master was out there, somewhere, he was sure of it. Out there and searching. "Where are we going?" 

Ignoring his question, the Condor went to the equipment room. By the time they got there, Ulf had their gear laid out, so Raven stripped to change. At least this time everything was there. He nearly danced as he pulled on his second skin, his nano-tech interface registering the suit's improvements: stronger alloy in his talons, refinements to his jet controls, and a higher resistance to heat and tearing. 

Finally, he felt whole. His gear wasn't quite as he remembered it, though. The Galactor devil's head was gone from his chest. Somehow it felt wrong, having no kind of symbol at all.

"Let's go."

Sighing, Raven followed toward the hangar. He tried asking again. "Where are we going?"

The Condor strode straight to his car, its sleek lines almost gleaming even in the hangar's low light. "Galactor plans to replace the Hawk. We can't contact him, so I have to go in person."

Raven shuddered. They were going against Galactor? Just the two of them?

What if his former master was there? 

"Are we in a hurry? I can fly us." He didn't want to be out there, exposed, any longer than he had to.

"We're driving." The Condor got into the car. "Get in."

Hesitating, Raven started to shake again. "But …"

"Just get in the goddamn car," snapped the Condor, slamming the door.

Sighing, Raven slunk to the other side. He got into his seat and buckled in as they tore from the base. The compressed jets were uncomfortable against the seat, digging into his back. Fussing with the seat back's angle helped a bit. It also earned him a few sharp looks.

The Condor drove with his jaw set, eyes hard as they approached the beach. He pressed a button and the car began to convert. Soon they were underwater, shooting beneath the ocean powered by high-speed jets. 

As their home receded behind them, Raven shrank into his seat, trying to make himself small and inconsequential. His former master saw everything, _knew_ everything. He looked to the Condor, wanting reassurance, but his companion was gripping the steering wheel so hard it made cracking sounds.

Outside of that, the silence crushed him. Then they finally reached land. The Condor converted the submersible back to a car, and digital display shifted to show roadmaps instead of sea charts. Again, Raven felt horribly exposed. Holding onto the door as they tore along the streets, he fought to stay quiet and still.

The Condor slammed to a stop in front of a hotel. "Stay in the car."

With that, the Condor was gone, leaving the car running. Raven waited, trembling and watching for trouble. Should he be waiting in the open? What if they found him and dragged him back?

He started to rock in his seat. Then he realized he was rocking the car. That made him stand out, and he couldn't stand out, not now. As he did another visual sweep, the door yanked open. Raven cringed back, ready to run, but it was the Condor. Rage rolled off him as he threw the car into gear, peeling out and barking a new location at the nav computer.

"When we get there," said the Condor, his tone icy, "stay in the car."

Raven tried to make himself smaller. Why was he even here? 

The Condor's gripped his arm hard, snapping, "Don't you fucking ignore me."

Trembling, Raven shook his head. He didn't want to be punished. "I … I was listening. I'll stay in the car."

He waited for the white hot pain, but the Condor's rough grip eased. "Why are you shaking?"

Tears spilled down Raven's cheeks. He couldn't make his body hold still, and he had no idea of how to answer that question. 

The Condor let go of his arm then softly touched his hair. "I'm not angry with you. I was trying to save a friend. I was too late."

Raven swallowed, nodding. Not entirely convinced, he tried to make his body be still, but the shaking continued. 

"I have to reach the others in time." The Condor kept his steel grey gaze fixed ahead. "They're walking into a trap."

Shuddering, Raven nearly offered to fly them again, but that would make him even easier to spot. If the Condor asked, he'd try it. For the moment, Raven closed his eyes, wishing he could be invisible. He couldn't go back. He just couldn't.

### 

Joe wanted to beat the shit out of something. Instead, he drove faster. Too late. He was too late, and Getz was dead. They'd lost so much already, and he was too late when it counted. 

Fortunately, Getz knew where the impostor was taking them. Joe clung to the hope that his car, tuned perfectly to cyborg reflexes, would get him there in time. He knew letting Raven fly them would be faster, but his companion was too busy falling apart. There was no time to patch him back together.

When they arrived, Joe pulled the car into the brush. "Make sure it's hidden, and wait inside. I'll call if I need you."

Raven had started trembling again. He nodded, though, and Joe squeezed his shoulder before grabbing his gear from the trunk. Then he slipped into the night, dashing toward the ruins and Galactor's trap. 

Rigged ruins and statues. Typical shit. Or, it would have been before Katse turned out to be brilliant. 

So here he was, running off half-cocked, solo, no real backup, and definitely no plan. Joe grinned. Almost like old times. He just hoped that the element of surprise gave him enough of an edge. Even if Katse survived the destruction of his mothership, he couldn't plan for opposition he thought was dead.

The trap waited ahead at the central ruins. Joe arrived just in time to hear the initial explosions. With it already sprung, he didn't have time to play it safe. He didn't want to be seen, though, so there was no avoiding it. 

As he maneuvered in frustration, Jun's voice rose loud and clear above the fray. She challenged the false Getz with full command presence. Joe vaguely registered their banter, watching troops swarm to join the impostor. This location wasn't just chosen to give the ambushers high ground. Somewhere, probably in a dozen ways, the place was rigged. 

Below, the stand-off continued. A bizarre, effeminate laugh and voice nearly distracted him. Only ensuring the safety of his friends, his _family_ , kept him on task. Rushing to a better vantage point, he marvelled at the iron strength behind Jun's words. Never would he have called the Swan timid — except maybe when it came to her feelings for the Eagle — but this was a new side of her. 

Joe's heart swelled with pride even as he mourned the necessity. She'd risen to the challenge, something he honestly hadn't expected. Glancing down, he saw that she, Ryu, and Jinpei had the situation well in hand. Only for the moment, though, he was sure of it. 

Forcing himself to focus on looking for the trap's next stage, rather than gawking at their new weapons, Joe continued searching. Then a massive mecha hand thrust from the ground. Relieved to see that subtlety was out the window, he watched it vaporize a lizard crawling on the walls. Yup, that was his target.

While the bizarre femme-voiced captain taunted the team, Joe pulled explosives from his pack. He might not be able to re-join them, but he could protect them, make sure they lost no one else. It was satisfying to wait with a finger on the detonator. For once Katse and Galactor would be shocked. 

But he didn't want to sell the others short, either. Joe held off until things got too dire, then blew the explosives, staying just long enough to ensure all three of his remaining friends were okay. Then he took off after the false Getz. He had a message for that asshole from the Hawk. 

That message was delivered the moment he found the bastard. Only when the shuriken was embedded in the man's neck did Joe realize what he'd chosen, but he had no time to retrieve the weapon. The others were far too close already. He vanished into the shadows, ranging ahead so he could quietly check in with Ulf.

"What else is here?" he whispered. 

"We believe there's a base only a half kilometer to the north," said Ulf. "Big installation." 

In the distance, Joe could hear their confusion at finding the shuriken. He hadn't meant to use it. Raphael had studied his favorite weapon and duplicated it. When he caught sight of his quarry, he must have reached for the pouch by default. 

Joe silently cursed himself and headed north. This ambush was far too close to the base for him to leave this to chance. Soon word would reach the base proper, and the others wouldn't be ready for the deluge of troops. So, he laid a deliberate trail, opening his pack with a heavy heart. Out came the helm and cape Raphael had created. 

Using the shuriken was cruel enough. With these, he might as well haunt them like a ghost. Thoughts of ghosts made him want to check on Raven, alone and possibly terrified in the car, but he didn't have time. Story of his life. All that waiting, and then there was never time.

At least the gambit worked. They took the bait, following his footsteps. Joe hurried ahead, using cyborg speed to ensure they couldn't catch up. When they sounded a bit disgruntled, he feared they'd turn back, so he waited long enough for them to see his shadow complete with helm, cape, and feather. 

Jun called his name in a cry filled with hope. Using unnatural speed again, Joe ensured they couldn't reach him, but he still heard her cries. Ryu and Jinpei joined her, making him feel like the monster he was. For one crazy moment he almost stopped and let them catch him. Except he was a cyborg, a walking bomb. Even if they could accept him, the moment he got close enough to Sosai X, they'd have to mourn him yet again.

Forcing himself to put one foot in front of the other, Joe led them toward a huge cavern. He looked down into the water, noting the two whirlpools, and contacted Ulf. "This it?"

"You're right on top of it."

Looking back, he felt sure that they'd follow him this far. He made sure everything was closed up tight, putting the helm and cape away, then jumped. Time to find a hidden spot to watch over them. If all went well, he wouldn't need to continue this cruel charade. 

Finally, Joe spotted them hiding in an ore car. This time he could actually watch them fight. What was with the sports theme on the new weapons? Jun got a gymnastics ribbon? A bouncing ball for Jinpei? And what the hell was Ryu using?

Then a ship arrived. Joe stared, trying to take in its form as he did the mental math. Ryu obviously wasn't flying it. Was Mako at the helm? It would make sense. His big question, though, was who the hell designed it? The damn thing looked like a giant chicken. Who the hell would be intimidated by that?

Shimatta, he was almost glad he was "dead." 

While the troops at the base struggled to get their acts together, the chicken coughed up individual vehicles. Cringing, Joe noted that even those were plagued by the hideous bird theme. If he wasn't watching carefully to make sure they all survived, he'd be rolling on the ground laughing. Way to shock and awe the enemy.

Maybe he should do them a favor and paint-bomb the things. 

The main chicken-ship continued on. Joe did a double-take, realizing that there were _five_ vehicles this time. A fighter screamed through the air with a skill worthy of Ken. That _had_ to be Mako. Maybe they'd outfitted the fighter so she didn't need foot pedals. 

Fortunately for the fighter's pilot, it looked kind of cool. The others hadn't gotten so lucky. Jun rode her new bike, which was fronted by an awful bird paint job. Jinpei flew some laughable Tweety Bird ship. While Ryu had gotten his hands on a tank, in his case, Joe figured he was probably so happy to be in the fight that he didn't care about the ugly paint.

But who was flying the main ship?

Joe shook the question off for the moment, then a realization hit him. Raphael could fix Mako's legs. As soon as Joe thought it, he growled, moving to follow the fight across the base. Like she'd _choose_ to be part machine. Joe knew that if he'd been asked, he wouldn't have agreed.

Watching Jun get blown from her bike made him freeze in terror. She immediately got up, so he turned his attentions elsewhere, watching Jinpei shoot a section of his ship off to destroy some artillery. What a humiliating way to go. Ryu's tank shooting massive bouncy balls at troops on motorcycles was just as bad, but was also effective.

Then he saw it. The fighter was targeting a glass dome. Blast doors were closing, but the pilot didn't pull up. That _had_ to be Mako. 

Had she and Getz married over the year since he'd seen them? Joe wouldn't call himself a romantic. Yet, he found himself hoping they had. Either way, fiancé or husband, Mako had to know that Getz was only replaced through one method. 

And she'd be right. Joe cursed himself again for being late. Getz's death, at least in part, was on his hands. So when he saw her dive into the dome before the blast doors closed, he knew what he had to do. 

He was already moving as her missile exploded, blowing the dome wide open. The others were still fighting. They'd never make it in time. Since she hadn't ejected, and he had to assume she was still paralyzed, Mako literally had no way to get out on her own.

When he reached the flames, Joe didn't hesitate. He tore through them at top speed as he called Ulf. "Send Raphael. Now!"

Exactly what he expected the doctor to do, Joe wasn't sure, but he wouldn't let Mako die. Not today. Her jet had smashed into a tree, causing it to break and topple directly onto the plane. The flames bathed the whole area, tree included, and Joe feared he might already be too late.

He found her barely moving. "Mako! Come on, wake up! Pull the safety eject!" 

His cyborg hearing barely heard her response over the flames. "It's … it's not working."

She had enough fight in her to reach for the lever, but not enough strength left. Joe managed to grab her wrist as she strained forward, not even feeling the flames as they licked at his clothes. He didn't let himself worry about what he'd do to her back: he simply heaved, hauling her out and wrapping her in her wings. Then he turned, shielding her with his body. The plane blew shortly after, knocking him flat on top of her. 

Joe groaned. That actually hurt. Fortunately, the pain just made him feel more alive. Once he got to his feet, he lifted her again, running to find someplace he could safely leave her. It took a bit to find a cave that looked safe from the flames. Inside, he laid her down, taking a moment to check her for injuries that demanded immediate attention. 

Satisfied that she was fine, Joe ducked outside. Time to call in a favor. He tapped his ear, contacting Ulf again. "Is Raphael coming?"

"We're on our way." 

Joe sighed with relief. "I had to use the lure. I need him to cover for me."

"Figured as much," said Ulf. "He'll be ready."

Satisfied with that, Joe went to make sure the others were okay. The base was a total wipe, so they'd gotten the job done, and it didn't take him long to spot three winged figures gathering. Soon they'd start looking for Mako. Except they might roast themselves trying to get to her in the flames. 

He lingered long enough to make sure that didn't happen. A beep in his ear distracted him.

"We're here." 

Joe frowned. How the hell did Ulf and Raphael get there so fast? 

"All right," he said, deciding not to look a gift horse in the mouth. "I'll mark the coordinates where I've left Mako. He'll need to draw the team that way."

"Will do," said Ulf. "Quite the barbecue, huh?"

Chuckling, Joe signed off. Later he'd press the doctor for more information. For now, he'd just be content that his friends were alive, and safe. He turned his attention to Raven before tapping his ear again. "Have any Galactor trouble?"

"N-no." Raven's voice sounded strained, more like a terrified child than the scourge of the Science Ninja Team. 

Joe took a deep breath. At least now he could spare a moment to coddle him. "The job is done. I'm on my way back."

"Okay."

Instead of rushing back at full speed, though, Joe merely hurried. He needed to be calm when he dealt with Raven, not amped up from his first major action in a year. As he backtracked, he wondered if Raphael would offer to help Mako. If he did, would she accept?

Honestly, Joe had no idea. It was her choice to make, though. He was surprised to realize that he'd respect her either way. At least she'd have the choice. If he caught Raphael trying to convert her without asking, he wouldn't care that he needed the man to have his revenge. He'd take the doctor apart himself. And there'd be no one around to put _him_ back together.

### 

Raven waited, trembling so violently the whole car shook. Explosions, trucks, and gunfire just made it worse. No matter what he tried, he couldn't make himself stop. They'd find him. His former master would find him.

The driver's door opened. Screaming, he scrambled back. Hands reached, and he lashed out, his foot connecting with solid flesh. _Stay in the car._ He was supposed to stay in the car, but he couldn't, not now. 

Barely registering his attacker's grunt, he fumbled to escape. An iron grip hauled him forward. Thrashing, he tried to get away, only to find himself crushed against a warm body. His skin crawled at the touch, his struggles growing more desperate. 

"It's me! Snap out of it!" 

He struggled until the stench of jet fuel and smoke thinned. When a familiar scent finally reached him, he looked up, drowning in that steel-grey stare. His fear drained away, leaving him sobbing and shaking. 

"You're safe now," that deep voice promised. "You're safe."

No, he'd never be safe. It didn't stop him from burying his face against his companion's chest, though, or clutching at his form-fitting suit. He'd never be safe, but just for the moment he could pretend. 

Really that's all he had left.


	5. Chapter 5

Joe felt as wrung-out as an old dishrag. This was truly the day from Hell. He'd failed to save Getz, haunted people he loved, watched Mako nearly kill herself, and then spent an hour consoling a freaked-out cyborg. 

It was well past dark by the time they reached the hangar. Raven was out cold, asleep and tear-stained like an overtired child. Tomorrow, Joe would bitch Raphael out for making him take Raven along, but first he planned to sleep like the dead. 

To that end, he parked the car, then paused. Would Raven wake up like a rabid animal, or a sleepy puppy? Deciding he was too tired to care, Joe shook his shoulder. "Hey. We're home."

Blue eyes blinked. Not bothering to wait, Joe got out of the car, heading to ditch his equipment. He was halfway done before Raven blearily joined him. The sluggishness was so Ken-like that Joe paused, watching him robotically divest himself of his gear.

Telling himself it was too much to hope for, Joe headed for his room, fully expecting Raven to follow. He'd given up on trying to get Raven to sleep on his own, privacy be damned. Every attempt meant scrambling down the hall to quiet piercing screams. After a couple of weeks, it just wasn't worth it.

One thing was readily apparent. He smelled twenty kinds of burnt. Joe stripped, turning on the shower. A quick wash and he could collapse.

Thanks to the showers being too small to share, Joe managed the quick clean-up easily. Towelling off led to sweats, which led to bed, greeted by a relieved sigh. He'd almost drifted off when Raven arrived a few minutes later, his hair damp.

"Can I join you?" 

Joe had insisted early on that Raven always ask. He needed to understand that this was a privilege that could be revoked. Usually he sounded eager. This time he was quiet. Hesitant. 

Too lazy to speak, Joe lifted the covers. A moment later, Raven was against him, nestling in close. Sleep tugged as Joe tried not to think about how normal this felt. Sharing a bed for over a month would do that. Raven's warmth, the way his body spooned perfectly back, had started to feel so damn _right_.

And he was so damn tired. Sighing, he drifted until sleep tugged again. This time he followed. 

###

Joe woke to warm lips on his own, and insistent hands tugging at his sweats. Fingers curled around his cock, pumping and stroking, and it slowly registered that an equally hard length was grinding against his leg.

Not one to look a gift hand-job in the mouth — or something like that — Joe peeked an eye open just to make sure. Yup, Raven. 

"Fuck me," murmured his eager bedmate.

Joe tried to respond, but Raven started sucking on his lower lip. He moaned and winced all at once, trying to press Raven away. "I'm not comfortable with that."

"But you're comfortable with this." Joe's tormentor squeezed his cock, making his eyes roll back. "Yeah, but that's not quite so …" 

So what? So gay? 

Christ, he was such a hypocrite.

Raven kept stroking him, nuzzling his throat. "What about me?"

It wasn't like he _asked_ Raven to do this. He hadn't, had he? 

Joe rubbed his eyes, trying to will some blood up to his brain. Funny, being a cyborg didn't seem to help with _that_ problem.

All the while, the damn fiend kept pumping and grinding. The team always enjoyed teasing that his dates tied to kill him because he was an inconsiderate lover. In fact, he prided himself onkeeping his lovers happy. _Especially_ since so many tried to kill him.

He couldn't keep using Raven like this. It wasn't right. With a little trepidation, Joe slid his hands down that flexing back. He could feel muscle sliding under supple skin, and couldn't help but wonder how they felt so real. 

Raven's grip on his cock tightened. Groaning, Joe dug his fingers into Raven's narrow hips, his own pumping with the rhythm of the strokes. 

He wasn't ready to give Raven exactly what he wanted. It was time, though, to give back _something_. Joe drifted his hands to the front of Raven's sweats. Sliding them down earned him a scorching kiss, and the pad of Raven's thumb gliding over a certain sensitive, slick head.

Shuddering, Joe yanked at the fabric. Only one worry held him back now. What would happen if Ken woke up right there, right then? Would he be pissed?

Ken was in love with him, though. Wasn't this what he wanted?

Raven kicked off his sweats. He knelt up, relieving Joe of his, and tossing both pants onto the floor. Even in the dark, Joe saw Raven's hungry grin. He felt like a steak about to be torn apart.

"You're not planning to eat me alive, are you?" Joe eyed him.

"Depends." Raven leaned back down, settling to grind erection against erection.

That felt … intense …

Joe struggled to figure out what felt wrong. It took a moment to realize he didn't like lying there, playing the passive partner. Raven seemed to want to be the girl. Time to man up.

He rolled them over. Those blue eyes widened, practically glowing with manic joy. 

Raven squirmed against him, licking his lips. "How do you want me?" 

To Joe's surprise, a few answers came to mind. He made himself focus. "You need to understand that we're not having sex."

Raven blinked. For a moment he looked very Ken, mentally checking off a list. Naked? Check. In bed together? Check.

While Joe wasn't fond of admitting weakness, Raven needed to learn boundaries. "I've never done this with another guy. We're taking it slow."

"I prefer fast." Raven spoke with the husk of a porn star, squirming more beneath him. 

Joe smirked, trying to ignore the strange thrill sparking to his groin. "Tough." 

Of course, now that he was on top, he couldn't blame this on anyone else. Joe looked into those lusty blue eyes and saw more than Raven. His best friend was in there, somewhere. Someone who genuinely loved him.

He could certainly do worse. To be honest, he had.

"So are we not doing _anything_?" Raven narrowed his eyes, and Joe spotted storm clouds coming. 

He couldn't help but chuckle. "You're very demanding."

Raven grumbled. Shaking his head, Joe leaned down and kissed him. This time, he didn't freeze. He settled onto an elbow, exploring Raven's mouth and sliding a hand down his lover's taut stomach. 

A hand-job for a hand-job. That seemed fair. Maybe it would even wake Ken up, if purely out of shock. 

### 

Raven woke alone yet again. He blinked, stretching, then went on his customary hunt. It didn't take long to find his quarry. The Condor sat in the lab among the computers with Master and Ulf. They kept gesturing to printouts, maps, and screens. 

Planning. Wrinkling his nose, Raven went to join them. The trio barely spared him a look as he sat, continuing to go over their intel. 

"We need to involve the ISO," said Ulf. "Galactor's becoming too active for us to handle all of it."

Ghosts whispered in Raven's ear. He twitched away. 

The Condor frowned. "There's proper channels for this kind of information."

"As long as it reaches the right people," said Master, "how it gets there is irrelevant."

They went back to talking details. Bored and fidgeting, Raven gave up, wandering off to roam the halls. He could still hear them, the sound of his former master's name making the ghosts restless. Cold hands roamed his hips and ass. Ghostly fingers dug in, laughter echoing as he twisted away.

Raven retreated into his original room. The furniture hadn't been replaced, so it remained empty, just like him. Giggling and feeling unsteady, he slid down the wall to sit in the far corner. 

Empty. 

He felt empty without Master's love. Not that his former master had bathed him in it. The man was always angry, punishing him for mistake after mistake. He needed to prove himself to his new master, to please him. How could he know what he had to do when he had no orders, no instruction? 

He pulled his knees in tight, rocking. Had he failed when he went with the Condor? Was he supposed to fight with him?

Would he be punished?

Raven trembled. They were kind to him here. He didn't want to be punished. He didn't want Master — or the Condor — to hate him. Resting his forehead on his knees, he did his best to cry quietly, not wanting to get in trouble.  

Eventually he heard footsteps in the hallway. Recognizing the Condor's stride, Raven wiped his eyes. He looked up to find that steel-grey gaze piercing right through him. Cataloging his defects? Raven shivered, making himself smaller. 

The Condor frowned. "You all right?"

Raven shot to his feet, heart hammering. Defects. He couldn't have defects. "I'm fine."

His companion didn't look convinced. "C'mon, we're going out."

"Out?" 

The Condor turned and left. Raven followed him to the equipment room, making sure to keep close. He found the drawer with his equipment open, so he started suiting up, since the Condor wasn't waiting. 

Once they were both dressed and armed, the Condor led him out of the hangar and into the sun. The moment they were no longer within the protected confines of the base, he started shaking, but he did his best to hide it. No defects. He couldn't let them suspect.

"We're walking patrol," said the Condor. "Have to make sure no one slips in."

Raven nodded, still trying to calm himself. He paid careful attention as his companion pointed out entrances and exits, weak points, and other important features.   

The Condor led him across a cliff overlooking the water. "What was your life like, before?"

Raven stopped, thrown by the unexpected question. When the Condor kept walking, Raven hurried to catch up, hoping he hadn't noticed. "When?"

"Before you woke up here. What was it like?"

Ghosts swarmed, and he was suddenly cold despite the sun. Raven wrapped his arms around himself. 

_Master's troops laughed as he had to repeat the task again and again. Every mistake was punished, and he always made mistakes._

Raven swallowed, trying to make sure his voice was calm before he spoke. "What do you want to know?"

The Condor glanced at him and kept walking. "What did you do? What kept you busy?"

_"Raven, don't you love your master?"_

_Trembling, barely able to stand, Raven nodded._

_"Then why do you try my patience? I ask you to do one simple thing."_

_Master was right. It was simple, a simple task. Raven swayed on his feet, despondent at his master's disappointment. Just an infant. Kill it, and Master would be pleased._

_"Now try again."_

_His master's harsh tone brooked no argument, no excuses. Flicking out his talons, Raven advanced, but the world went fuzzy. Darkness tried to consume him as he pressed forward, laughter filling his ears. Hearing Master's impatient sigh, he surged forward, raising his arm._

_Suddenly he was on the ground. Master stood over him, cape torn. To his horror, Raven saw a sliver of purple cloth caught in his talons._

_Master frowned. "Still defective. Still a disappointment. You learn slowly, stupid boy."_

_Sobbing, Raven shook his head. He tried to beg forgiveness, but Master turned, walking away. Then his world exploded in white-hot agony._

### 

Joe watched Raven struggle, gaze darting back and forth as if he was trapped in a waking dream. Hopefully he was doing the right thing. Back at Crescent Coral, the mandatory team therapists always wanted him to talk about things that bothered him. Supposedly, talking was healthy.

So, he kept walking and gently pressed the issue. The topic should be harmless enough. "What did you do? What kept you busy?"

Two steps later, Raven collapsed onto his knees. Joe crouched, wanting to kick himself, and stared into glazed blue eyes. Emotions rioted across Raven's face, pin-balling from upset to concentration, then fear and downright horror. He started shaking so hard his teeth chattered. Then he fell, convulsing as he let out an ear-splitting scream.

Joe scrambled to support Raven's head, wondering if that even mattered for a cyborg. The screaming stopped, but Raven continued to thrash, the convulsions growing worse. It took everything Joe had to pin him down. 

When Raven finally stilled, Joe pulled him close, wondering what the hell just happened. How could such a simple question reduce Raven to such a complete mess? 

Helpless anger had him itching for an outlet, something to destroy. Ken and Raven came first, though, so Joe forced himself to calm down. He stroked Raven's hair — their hair — with a shaking hand, silently cursing therapists everywhere. He should have known better than to try some bullshit psych stuff. Like any head shrinker ever helped _him_.

That train of thought just made him angry again. What the hell did Katse do to them? Reminding himself that anger would freak Raven out, Joe focused on the waves gently lapping against the shore. He'd managed to ratchet himself down to a mild simmer by the time Raven stirred. 

Moments later, Raven flinched away, curling into a tight ball. Joe reached for him, then caught himself. If Raven needed space, he'd get space. 

Then Raven dissolved into broken, body-wracking sobs. Joe clenched his hands, helpless anger surging back, demanding he hunt Katse down and rend him limb from limb. Instead, he waited until the tears faded to sniffles. 

Once he trusted himself to speak softly, Joe promised, "It's okay. You're safe. I won't let anyone hurt you."

Raven jerked, turning to him with wide eyes full of shock and disbelief. Staring back, Joe got goosebumps. Was this Ken? 

When Joe opened his mouth to say something else, Ken — or Raven — scrambled backwards toward the cliff, breathing hard and fast. Joe held up his hands, making it clear he wasn't armed and wouldn't lunge. "I won't hurt you."

He felt like a broken record, always promising the same thing. One day, both of them might even believe him. Afraid to speak either name, he waited, watching. Whichever one of them he was dealing with, that lithe form hunched like a cornered animal. 

Which one was driving? Joe looked for signs, but he just couldn't tell. Either way, glancing at the cliff, Joe realized he didn't know just how indestructible they were. A fall from this height onto the rocks below could be nothing, or it could be lethal, and he really wasn't in the mood to find out. 

Slowly, carefully, he stood. Then he backed up, giving his panicked friend plenty of space. Raising his hands once again, he said, "I won't hurt you. Look, no restraints."

Something dark and manic flashed in those big blue eyes. The moment Joe saw shoulders twisting, his heart stopped. One moment he was watching in horror, the next he was dashing forward, barely catching an arm before his friend could make the jump.

As he hauled his friend back, Joe braced himself for a struggle. Instead, the body in his arms went limp. Not willing to risk another attempt, Joe lifted him, carrying him back toward the base. All the while, he kept replaying the encounter in his head.

By the time he reached the hangar, Joe realized that something good had come of his pushing. That wasn't Raven who tried to jump. It was Ken, who probably thought he was still a captive and was being tricked. While Joe wasn't eager to repeat the experience, if he'd drawn Ken out once, that meant he could do it again.

At least carrying him was easy with cyborg strength. The moment Ken started to stir and shake, Joe tightened his grip. They were almost inside the base itself. He just had to get Ken somewhere more secure.

When he entered the lab, he found Ulf cleaning equipment. Ken was still shaking, listless, and nearly catatonic. Joe carried him to the scanner and awkwardly pressed the button, waiting as the lid rose out of the way.

"What's happened?" Ulf approached 

"Need you to run diagnostics." Joe laid Ken on Raphael's work table. Together, he and Ulf managed to strip him, then lay him in the scanner. 

As the lid started to shut, Ken's eyes opened wide. Hands shaking, he reached toward them, a frightened keen coming from his throat. "Fix it. You have to fix it!"

Joe blinked, glancing to Ulf. The cyborg said soothingly, "We'll shut you down for a full diagnostic."

"Find it. Fix it!" 

When he started babbling, Joe realized Ken was gone. This was Raven. His frantic words flew by at hurricane speeds, something about defects, and Ulf merely nodded as he keyed commands into the scanner. Tears ran down Raven's cheeks as he trembled, pleading, and then slowly calmed.

Once he was out, effectively asleep, all the tension Joe had stuffed down threatened to boil over. Raven's scream ripped through his memory. "Did Raphael activate Raven's punishment cycle?"

Ulf shook his head. "Hakase's resting. As far as I know, he shut it off completely."

"Then how …" Joe pinched the bridge of his nose, then described what happened to Ulf. Had pushing Raven activated a punishment out of the blue? Had _he_ caused this? Shimatta, he hoped that wasn't the case. Though if it woke Ken, maybe it was worth it.  

"I'll wake Raphael," said Ulf. "I've programmed it to keep Raven under until we manually wake him."

Joe nodded, pacing as he waited for the doctor to emerge. He so wasn't cut out for this. Man, he missed the days when all his problems could be solved by pushing a red button. 

"He was talking about defects?" Raphael sounded groggy as he arrived with Ulf. 

Somehow Joe didn't feel sorry for him. "Yes, that you needed to find and fix them."

The doctor huffed. "There's never been a defect. I do want to be sure his punishment cycle wasn't activated."

He settled at the scanner's terminal and started sorting through the data. Joe started pacing again. "Why does he think he's defective?"

"Katse's games." Raphael adjusted some dials. "He'd set impossible tasks, or order Raven to do things that Gatchaman would resist. Then berate him for failing." 

Joe frowned, remembering Raven in the car. What had he said?

_"I don't know what you want."_

"And you just let that happen?" Joe growled, clenching his hands.

"What would you have me do?" Raphael continued watching the results. "Katse was, or is, brilliant. If I'd showed any inclination to protect or help Raven beyond building him, Katse would have become suspicious."

"You could have reassured him. At least talked to Ken."

"As though Katse didn't have my lab under constant surveillance." Raphael smirked. "Katse would break him eventually. Why drag it out? Worse, why give Raven information he could offer to avoid punishment?"

Joe wanted to rage, to tear apart everyone involved in breaking his best friend. He was familiar with most of Raphael's excuses. Nothing mattered more than the doctor's higher purpose. Nothing, and no one. "Ken could have broken you out of there, if you'd let him."

"No." Raphael turned to him. "Katse broke his mind before Raven's procedures began. He had me watched at every moment, though he thought I was too absorbed in my work to notice." 

Shuddering, Joe tried not to picture what Ken must have gone through. He and Ken were two of the most stubborn sons-of-bitches out there. What would it take to crack him so thoroughly?

"I convinced Katse that for Raven to operate within the desired parameters, Raven needed free will." Raphael paused the scanner's output, looking it over more closely. "That made Raven my wildcard, the key to my escape. As he made Raven more and more unstable, I just waited for my chance."

The mention of free will reminded Joe of Lucy. Raphael must have made her, but Joe couldn't make himself ask. Was she _given_ free will? Or did she develop it on her own?

That was a question for another time. Joe focused on better understanding Raven. "So originally you planned on making him your weapon?"

Raphael snorted. "If I put a bomb in that boy's chest, he'd find it and fuss with it until he blew himself up. In my lab."

Unfortunately, Joe had to agree. Did that mean Ulf was originally the weapon? Or did Raphael wait for Raven to bring one of the team for conversion?

"I see no evidence that the episode was triggered externally." Raphael sat back, lips pursed in thought. "Or that the trigger was physical."

Joe frowned. "But it _was_ triggered."

"Yes." The man looked genuinely perplexed. "Did you tell him you would punish him?"

Was Raphael mad? "No. Did you?"

"I don't make empty threats."

Somehow that wasn't reassuring. "But you would. You'd use it?"

Raphael shook his head. "Only as a last resort. I want to stabilize his mind, not tear it further apart."

Joe glanced down into the scanner. Ken — or Raven — looked so peaceful. "I don't know if I can do this by myself."

"There's the ISO." Ulf tossed the comment out with a false casualness. "I'm sure they have specialists."  

Joe grimaced, shaking his head. That would just create an even worse disaster. "I'll keep trying."

"Then leave us." Raphael waved them both away. "It's best to wake him slowly."

When Joe opened his mouth to protest, Ulf grabbed his arm. He let the big guy pull him along, but not happily.

"Dr. Raphael may not be warm and fuzzy," said Ulf, "but he knows how to handle Raven."

To a point, anyway. Joe leaned against the wall. The problem was, _he_ wasn't warm and fuzzy either. "K'so … what do I do?"

Ulf stared off at nothing for a moment. "Perhaps we need to give Raven clear instructions. A little praise might not hurt either."

Joe mulled that over. "What is he, a cocker spaniel?"

"More like a border collie. Too much undirected energy, and things go badly."

Not being a dog expert, Joe took his word on that. Then he nearly laughed as a random thought flew by. Maybe they could work on Raven's leg-humping tendencies while they were at it.


	6. Chapter 6

Joe had to admit that Ulf's idea was working. A week after the meltdown, Joe was tired of micromanaging, but Raven seemed calmer. Two weeks into their experiment, Raven started patrolling by himself, which meant that Joe finally got some time alone. This was a good thing, since he wouldn't have been responsible for the bloodshed if he hadn't found a way.

Yet, it unnerved him that he hadn't seen Raven in a few hours. Joe told himself to enjoy the silence. After all, there was no way Raven would leave the island. Even if he tried, Raphael had set alarms, and claimed that he could force Raven to return.

Joe's imagination refused to relax, though.  It tossed him images of Raven trembling under a table somewhere, or losing it and suiting up to kill them all. Grumbling under his breath, he searched the base. No Raven in the lab. No sign of him in either of their rooms, or any of the empty ones. No Raven in the training room, either. Checking the security cameras didn't show him walking patrol. Something was moving in the hangar though, so Joe headed there.

All he had to do was find the loon. Then he could sneak off and enjoy more time alone. He approached the hangar quietly, in full stealth mode, and quickly realized that it wasn't necessary. Raven wore a set of headphones, jeans, and nothing else as he dancing around like a fiend. 

The sight of him lip-syncing and bouncing with enthusiasm made Joe sag with relief. He'd never seen Ken do more than bob his head to music. Maybe tap his fingers or his foot, but that was it. Even if he had, he couldn't picture Ken letting go like this. Raven attacked the music with joy, dancing with the same wild abandon he brought to everything else.

When Raven suddenly noticed him, he didn't stop, either. Ken would have been embarrassed. Raven just grinned, tossing coy sensuality into his moves. Joe chuckled and shook his head. To his relief, when he left, Raven didn't follow. If this was another of Ulf's ideas, he owed the guy a beer. The more things Raven felt comfortable doing on his own, the better. 

### 

Raven stood on the beach, staring at the horizon where water met sky. He longed to take flight and soar among the clouds. All he had to do was extend his jets. No one would stop him.

But cold, clammy fear anchored his feet. _They_ were searching. They'd find him. 

_"You belong to me, Raven," his former master had insisted. "If you're taken, do everything you can to return. Trust that I will do everything in my power to get you back."_

He had a new master, now. One who didn't hurt him. One who wasn't constantly disappointed in him. 

Raven found himself shaking. He wrapped his arms around himself, finishing his patrol. He'd come to enjoy the routine, the sun, and the wind. If only every round didn't make him long for the sky, he'd find it peaceful.

Patrol finished, Raven passed through the hangar. As he reached the equipment room he heard voices. 

"Raven," called the Condor, "you're coming with me."

He joined his lover in the equipment room. "Where?"

"A mission." The Condor finished suiting up.

Galactor. Raven shuddered, feeling a tightness in his chest, but he knew they wanted him to get used to this. "Okay."

From the equipment room, the Condor led to the hangar.  "I need to infiltrate a Galactor base. Grab some intel."

Raven's hands wouldn't stop shaking. He tried to sound casual. "And me?"

To his surprise, the Condor grinned. "Your job is to wait in the car. I might need backup."

Raven nodded. As he got in the car, ghosts pawed him, promising a painful reception if he ever returned to Galactor. He almost didn't notice when the Condor handed him a masked hood, then put one on himself. 

Pulling his on, Raven hoped it would make a difference. If they didn't recognize him, they wouldn't know to take him, right?

He clung to that hope as they tore from the hangar. That and the knowledge that this time he couldn't fall apart. This time, he had to do better.

### 

Joe wasn't in the mood for stealth, but there was a job to do. He slunk through the Galactor base, searching for the data Raphael's other agents said was there. It felt good to be back in the field. Whether the rush came from adrenaline, or something artificial, he'd missed it.

At least here he didn't have to worry about haunting the team. As far as he knew, the ISO wasn't even aware of this base, and that was how it should be. The others didn't need to risk their lives for this. He'd find the data, bring it back, and send it by courier if it was something Nambu needed to see. 

First, he had to reach the base's core. Despite heavy patrols, that didn't prove much of a challenge. Ninja training and cyborg abilities got him there. Data in hand, it was time to get out. 

Though, what would Miss Manners say if he didn't leave a gift? Grinning, Joe hid some high explosives behind the computer bank, timer set to give him plenty of time to escape. He slipped from the room and into the hall. Two seconds later, alarms signaled that it was time to haul ass.

Joe tapped his ear, muttering, "Start the car and be ready to roll. I'm coming out hot."

Silence answered. Cursing under his breath, Joe ditched all pretence of stealth. As he tore through the base, he finally heard Raven's shaky but firm voice. 

"Roger. Ready."

He almost sounded like Ken. Then green-clad goons were everywhere, and Joe ignored the pang of loss at the reminder, focusing on getting himself out in one piece. Fortunately, they just had laser rifles. With each hit, heat bloomed in the middle of his back, but there was no pain. 

That's when he remembered the other gifts. He might feel terrible about haunting his former teammates, but the chance to haunt Galactor was too good to pass up. Nailing the closest goons with shuriken did the trick. It also bought him a chance to launch up toward his planned escape route.

Hopefully, some evidence of the feathers would survive. As much as Katse had taunted them, it was about time they returned the favor. Let him — or Gel Sadra, his rumored replacement or second in command — drive himself batty over what the shuriken meant. In the meantime, Joe was a ghost, slipping from the base and tearing toward the car at speeds that no human could match.

As he'd asked, Raven had it running. His companion visibly trembled in the passenger's seat, knuckles white as he gripped the door, but didn't flip out and attack. That was something.

Joe shut the door and floored it. A few minutes later, he remembered the whole reinforcement thing. "By the way, good job."  

Raven looked down, a strangely shy expression on his face. Again, Joe was reminded of Ken, and he tried to remember where he'd seen that look before. Then Raven beamed a brilliant smile his way. Watching him relax ever so slightly lifted a weight from Joe's shoulders. He really was getting better. They'd found a tactic that worked.

He might really get his friend back, and really have a partner. The two of them together could do far more damage to Galactor than he could, himself. There was a time when Joe would have done anything to spare Ken from joining him at the end. Now, well, what right did he have to deny Ken his own vengeance?

They'd always said they'd die together. If that meant the others survived, living to a ripe old age and raising kids and grandkids, it would be worth it.

### 

The moment they returned, Joe headed for the lab. He handed the data stick to Ulf and sat, his stomach sinking as they examined what he'd found. The new base's construction was ahead of schedule. Worse, it was a hub for particularly lethal troops. Violent offenders managed by some kind of mind control. Lethal, fearless, and aggressive.

Ulf stood with a frown. "They're farther along than we thought. I'll discuss this with Dr. Raphael."

As far as Joe was concerned, this needed immediate action. Raphael already felt this base was critical to Galactor's plans. That's also where they'd find information on these new troops and how to beat them. 

He had the bad feeling this wouldn't be a solo job. Raven wasn't ready to go against Galactor troops, not by a long shot. While Ulf was perfectly competent, Raphael preferred to keep him nearby. 

That left Joe with an unpleasant alternative. The only way to ensure the team would show up, especially on such short notice, was to haunt them. He ran his hands through his hair, hoping it wouldn't come to that. Maybe Raphael would see something in the data that they didn't.

Ulf's frown as he returned told him otherwise. "Raphael's insistent. This new base _must_ come down. The sooner the better."

Looking over the floor plan for the massive installation, Joe searched for an alternative. Even he and Raven were just two people. If Galactor suspected this was the information he'd been looking for, they'd be prepared.

"You have to involve them." Ulf sat, crossing his arms. "There's no time to work around it." 

Joe wanted to argue, but he was right. K'so, this sucked. "What do you suggest?"

Ulf held out a tape recorder. "No time for fancy plans." 

Great. Joe sighed. He'd keep the message short and sweet. Enough to let them hear his voice, and nudge them where they needed to go. By the time he finished making the recording, though, he felt dirty. They'd had almost a year to deal with his death and move on. They didn't need this, not now.

But it couldn't be helped. He handed the recorder back to Ulf, who took it and said, "By the time you're in position, they'll have the tape." 

Taking that as a dismissal, Joe went to find Raven. Time for Round Two. This time, he had to keep them from seeing him, or any hints that he might be there. No more haunting. That had to stop.

### 

Raven had just grabbed his headphones when the Condor rushed into the hangar. Seeing him head right for the car, Raven's chest tightened. 

"Suit back up. We're going out."

He nodded and ran for the equipment room. Getting changed didn't take long, and soon he was back in the hangar, settling into his seat. As he shut his door, the Condor hit the gas, tearing out of the place yet again.

The silence made him fidget. "What's the mission?"

"Hopefully we're just observing. Maybe lending a hand." 

That wasn't much to go on, but Raven nodded, not wanting to be a bother. They traveled for hours. Several times, he felt a cold, ghostly touch on his shoulder and back. He shivered and longed to crawl into the Condor's warm lap. Only the intent, hard look on his lover's face kept him from trying. Well, that and there wasn't enough room between him and the wheel.

Finally, they stopped in an arid place. Raven watched the Condor get out of the car and grab a large, netted cloth. 

"Help me anchor this."

Hands shaking, Raven got out and helped. Once they had the cloth secured over the vehicle, the whole thing shimmered and nearly vanished, blending with the dirt and rock. 

The Condor reached behind the driver's seat, pulling out a computer. "Let's see how well I listened during Jun's hacking lessons."

Raven blinked. It wasn't long before the screen was filled with video inputs. Leaning in closer, he saw they came from inside vehicles. One of them was underwater. Suddenly, its window was biggest, but the Condor flipped to another as he pulled up schematics.

"All right," the Condor muttered, "let's get him going the right way. I need you to be quiet, all right?"

After opening his mouth to answer, Raven just nodded. When he suddenly heard a voice, he jerked, but the Condor touched his arm then pointed to the computer. 

Not a ghost. Raven let out a relieved sigh.

"I can't see anything, Jun," said the voice. "Can I go deeper?"

The Condor pressed a few buttons. "No, Jinpei."

Raven knew that name. The Swallow.

"What?"

"Continue on your course," said the Condor.

"But Jun …"

"Do as I say!" 

The Swallow let out a huff. "Fine." 

Raven tensed at the Condor's snapped tone. Again, the Condor touched his arm. It helped, but the longer they sat there, the more exposed Raven felt. He reminded themselves they were under camouflage. It didn't help. 

Galactor was here. Otherwise, they wouldn't have come. He started trembling, fear spiking as he worried that might cause noise. The Condor said to be quiet. He had to be quiet.

The Condor traced the schematics with calloused fingers. Swapping to the Swallow's feed, he enlarged the window, leaning in and staring. "Now straighten your course by seven degrees. Good. Very good, Jinpei. Now launch a missile."

"What? A missile?"

"Quick, Jinpei!"

Raven clenched his hands, trying to stop the shaking. A ghost pulled close, settling over him like a damp, chilled blanket. Swallowing his frightened reaction made him tremble harder, but he did his best to ignore it.

 "Fine, then, you're the commander," said the Swallow. "I'll do as you say even if I don't agree. Mini missile, fire!"

The Condor pressed some buttons and sighed. "One problem solved." 

Raven joined him in half-watching the four feeds again. From what he could tell, three members of the Science Ninja Team had infiltrated a base. Immediately he felt a surge of energy, a call to battle. _Enemies_. They had to be destroyed, battered, and humiliated.

Were they the enemy? Ghosts whispered, laughing. He couldn't remember. 

"Shimatta!" 

The exclamation had Raven jumping, nearly letting out a shriek. A guilty glance told him the Condor hadn't noticed. Instead, his companion stared at the screen. All four windows showed some kind of odd, shimmering light.

"K'so, they're trapped. An energy field."

With the press of a button, the Condor activated the speakers. Raven tried to follow the discussion, but it was confusing, something about needing to escape. Creating a tornado?

Suddenly the Condor handed him the computer and jumped out of the car. He started rolling up the net, but Raven just watched, still trembling. Then they sped across grass and sand, not stopping until they reached the coast. There, the Condor leapt out of the car, staring at the giant mushroom cloud blooming over a nearby island.

"Raven, I need you to fly," said the Condor, his voice strained. "I can't get there fast enough."

"There?" Raven stared at the obliterated island.

"No, if they got out, they might not be conscious." Joe dug in the trunk and handed Raven a flare. "Find them. Make sure they're floating on their backs, on their capes, and set this off. It'll help their pilot find them."

Raven shook, taking the flare. "And … and then?"

"Get going, I'll talk you through it."

The Condor looked worried, so Raven nodded, extending his jets. He could do this. He'd show them he wasn't defective, that he could help. 

Taking to the air was like coming home. A surge of joy filled him, and he almost whooped, but he had to focus. In his ear, the Condor reminded him to fly a search pattern. It took a while, but he finally spotted them. Two of the three on their backs. The third floated face down.

Remembering his instructions, Raven dove, shutting off his jets before he hit the water. He turned her face up, then pointed the flare to the sky. It went up in a bright, smoky line toward the sun.

"Are they all breathing?" 

Raven listened to each. The two guys were, and the girl was coughing. "Yes."

"Their ship is on the way. Come back here."

"Hai." Raven wasn't sure his jets would light in the water. He swam a bit away from them, then fired them, laughing as water sprayed everywhere. With a swooping turn, he shot over the sea. His speed pulled it in waves behind him. 

Land came way too soon. He landed next to the car, barely spotting it since the Condor had replaced the netting. As he slipped inside, he caught sight of the bird plane lowering to the water, some kind of platform sliding under to collect them.

Almost breathless from the excitement, Raven leaned toward the Condor. "Did you see? They're okay."

The Condor looked a little slumped and tired, but he smiled. "I saw. Good job."

Raven kissed him, leaning against him until it was time to go. An arm sliding around him made it all that much better. He closed his eyes to savor the feeling. And while the ghosts circled, for a moment, they couldn't touch him.


	7. Chapter 7

Joe stared at the date. Two years, two months, and three days since Ken was originally captured, and all this hell began. A year since the two of them fell out of the sky, dead as far as the world was concerned, in a mass of twisted metal. 

If Ulf was right, it had been about seven months since Joe found himself "reborn." At least, that was according to Raphael's logs, and the doctor was nothing if not meticulous about his notes. Just five-and-a-half months ago, Joe stumbled onto his feet. Raven had only been awake for three.

Looking at the hard numbers, Joe supposed he shouldn't beat himself up too much. Ken took over a year to fully break. In three months, Raven had gone from an out-of-control train wreck to …

Joe pondered how to describe him. Still a train wreck. Just with a slight comedy laugh track, a bit of porn bump and grind, and a tendency to think anything he did wrong was a punishable failing. 

A laugh escaped him. How was that last one any different from Ken?

Sighing, Joe tried to focus on the intel. Galactor had so many things happening at once. How the hell was he supposed to know which was the most critical? Ken was the one with all the strategy. The sooner he woke, the sooner Joe could go back to being the guy who just blew shit up.

Dr. Raphael stormed into the lab. Before Joe realized it, he was on his feet, adrenaline surging. 

"Suit up and take Raven." The doctor waved a handful of papers at him. "I have Ulf loading additional equipment in the car."

"What's happened?" Joe had never seen his new mentor look so shaken. Frankly, it freaked him out.

"A massive, continuous quake. You'll get more info you en route."

Joe ran, pausing to track Raven down on the way to suit up. They were used to the drill, so they were on the road in no time, racing toward the coordinates sent to the car.

What the hell had Galactor done now?

They soon discovered that "more info" didn't mean much. Not that it mattered. Either way, they got there as fast as they could, knowing it was time to ditch the car when they spotted the chicken ship in the distance. 

Joe grabbed the duffel bag from the trunk, then had Raven fly them to the top of the nearest building. Settling just inside the top floor gave them a great view, one where they couldn't be seen from above. Cyborg vision was good, but a rifle's scope was even better, so Joe set up to get a better read on what was happening down below.

Jun, Ryu, and Jinpei were deploying some kind of machine. It looked complicated, to the point that they were far too absorbed in what they were doing. Joe fought back bitter frustration. This wasn't right. There shouldn't be only three of them on the ground. With all of them absorbed in the setup, they had no attention to spare for their surroundings, and that could be fatal.

When Raven tapped his shoulder he jumped, them grimaced. Good thing he hadn't had his finger on the trigger. Turning his attention to where Raven pointed, he spotted a group of Galactor thugs sneaking up to the team's vehicles. The assholes were settling in nice and cozy, hiding to prepare an ambush.

"Good spot." Joe mentally kicked himself for not seeing it. Here he was, bitching them out about not having situational awareness, and it took the loon to set him straight. "Tell me when the team starts toward their vehicles." 

"Okay."

Joe memorized the ambush's layout, then carefully looked around to see if other troops were near. He could feel Raven shaking beside him but didn't have the luxury of letting that distract him.  

"Now …"

A quick pivot, and Joe sighted back toward the ambush. "Be ready to swoop down if I tell you."  

"I … I will."

He felt Raven's weight shift, heard him gripping the broken window's edge. Then a red-and-black-uniformed captain shoved a gun into Jun's face. 

Shimatta. Joe wracked his brain a moment, then grinned. "Do me a favor. Fire your jets, but don't fly. Just make a lot of noise."

Raven backed up, bracing his hands against the wall. When he fired the jets, their roar distracted the goons below, and Joe squeezed the trigger. The captain was the first to go down. In the chaos, Jun, Ryu, and Jinpei swung into action. 

A few more squeezes, and Joe eliminated several more. The others took down the rest on their own. He let out a deep breath, resting his forehead on the windowsill for a moment. That could have been bad.

Focusing the scope on them again, he watched them scan the skyline. They were high enough that his cyborg hearing barely picked up their confused speculation. Two words in particular made him grind his teeth in frustration.

Joe … Raven …

K'so, now he'd made sure Ken haunted them too. Could this get any worse?

### 

Raven was starting to enjoy this. Just him and the Condor, working together. He watched the team leave the city, deciding that they weren't enemies, not if his lover wanted to help them. 

Once they were gone, the Condor packed up the rifle. "Take us down."

Enjoying the excuse to wrap his arms around his man, Raven flew them to the street. From there they got as close as they dared. The team was standing in a desert, looking around in confusion, like they'd lost someone. 

A car surged out of the sand. Even the Condor jumped, making Raven giggle. He ignored the thump to the back of his head as the car's top opened revealing Dr. Nambu inside. Raven shuddered. His old master really loved taunting the man.

Across the sand an argument was heating up. Something about stopping the earthquakes, and needing a skilled driver or pilot. The Swan was fighting with Nambu and the others to get to the car. All Raven could think about was how they had no cover. He looked to the sky, shaking. 

"K'so," grumbled the Condor. "What is it about command that makes people suicidal?"

Ghosts laughed. They piled along Raven's back, freezing hands shoving him into the sand. He let out a whimper and tried to bat them away. The ghosts just laughed louder.

Next to him, the Condor punched the sand. "Don't make me do this."

Raven trembled harder. Had he done something wrong? "Do what?" 

"Hush." 

The Condor's harsh snap made Raven feel sick. He had to get himself under control. He had to show them he wasn't defective. 

Below, Dr. Nambu blocked the Swan again. Raven kept his voice to a whisper. "Are they going to fight?" 

"The bastard knows I'm watching." The Condor snarled. "He's forcing me to come out."

Raven didn't see the problem. "So don't." 

The Condor shot him a sharp look. Raven recoiled, and the Condor sighed. "I have no choice. Stay here unless I call for you."

Feeling very small, Raven ducked down. Weren't those the Condor's friends? Would he come back?

They couldn't have him. They didn't need him. 

 _He_ needed him.

### 

Joe felt positively sick. There was no taking this back, but he knew for certain he could survive this. Jun might not.

The argument below was getting heated. He started to whistle, and heard them immediately go silent. Now that he had their attention, he began walking. It was pretty dramatic, really, like something out of a movie. The sun was at his back, and the others had to shield their eyes as they tried to get a look at him.

He didn't dare approach all the way. Stopping on the side of the hill, Joe let them try to absorb what they were seeing. Jun's lips were already moving, speaking his name, and at any moment he expected them all to rush him. Whether to kick his ass, kill him, or hug him hello was the big question.

Of course, Nambu didn't look shocked at all. Joe grit his teeth. Bastard. This was his fault.

"Joe-Aniki!" Jinpei ran toward him, tears streaming. 

Ryu followed on his heels, Jun just a few steps behind, with Nambu in the rear. When they stopped just shy of touching him, Joe realized he was still wearing his shades. He took them off to let them see his eyes.

Looking to Nambu, he said, "I think I'm the only one able to drive that device."

Jinpei leapt at him with a massive hug. Unexpected was the way Ryu ruffled his hair, like he wasn't sure how to welcome someone back from the dead. 

But Jun hadn't moved. Ready to take his beating, Joe stepped forward. When she reached for him, he took her hands, then suddenly she was crying against him. As he held her, all he could think about was whether she could tell he wasn't human.

Such a huge mistake. He glared at Nambu again, but the bastard looked all too pleased with himself. 

Ryu grinned. "It was _you_ who helped us in secret, Joe, right?"

"But why did you stay hidden, Joe?" Jinpei looked up at him.

Joe opened his mouth but didn't know what to say.

"Joe," said Nambu, coming forward and clasping his shoulder, "you don't have to tell us if you don't want to, but why didn't you let us know that you were still alive?"

What the hell could he say? That for months he was being made into a cyborg, then learning to control his new body? That even if he wanted to come back, he had to be there for Raven, and there was no way to bring him too?

Nambu ducked his head. "Anyway, I'm happy that you're among us."

"Hakase look!" Jun's cry rescued him from more awkward questions. Some crazy metal snake thing popped out of the ground. 

Joe took his chance, jumping into the car. He'd already heard what Nambu needed. Now he just had to do it. "I'm going to stop the crust's sliding. Have fun with Galactor's new toy!"

He took off, tapping his ear. "Raven, once they're fighting the mech, follow me."

"Roger." 

Raven sounded shaken, but Joe couldn't deal with that now. As he tore over the landscape, he looked over the controls, spotting the ones he needed. One flick of a switch and the car converted, digging into the earth. 

"On my way!" 

Joe hoped that was the right call. Raven quickly appeared behind him, following him into the limestone caverns below. The place was a mess, shaking and shattering, dropping stone daggers like crazy. 

In his ear, he heard Raven laughing. He sounded like he was on some amusement park ride. Rolling his eyes, Joe focused on driving, letting the targeting computer guide him. Cyborg reflexes got him through a few close shaves, and he could have sworn he heard Raven smash one or two rocks on his own. Then the targeting computer flashed red. One press of the magic button, and the problem was solved.

Or so he hoped. 

"Now we get the hell out!" he called to Raven. Joe pushed the car as fast as it could go. Only as the explosion's shockwave slammed past them did he realize he was a total fucking idiot. Here he was in the protection of a vehicle. Raven was completely exposed.

Anyway, it was too late. He barely saw the raging inferno before it engulfed him. The vehicle crumpled and warped like an empty tin can, and for the first time since he became a cyborg, Joe knew serious pain. The car tumbled end over end, eventually stopping askew and half covered in sand. 

When he could make his voice work, he called to Raven. "You there?"

"Ow," was the quiet response.

Joe spotted the chicken ship landing. "Stay put." 

As the others emerged from the ship, Joe crawled out of the car's remains. This time Mako was with the others. She stared from a wheelchair on the ship's platform. No doubt she didn't feel like trying to push through sand.

Oddly, Joe found her the most awkward to face. What must she think? Was she asking why it was _him_ who returned? 

Jun stepped forward, staring with obvious disbelief. "Are you all right, Joe?"

"Sure." He grinned, trying to shove the awkwardness aside. "A bit of rest and I'll be fine."

"You've only got a few scratches," she said, eyes wide. "But your unit's so badly damaged."

He fought back panic. If he couldn't bluster his way through this, they'd figure him out. "Well sure, I've got the devil by my side."

"Will you tell us now how you survived?" Ryu stared as though he might blow away, like so much sand.

Swallowing, Joe tried for the most honest answer he could stomach. "I was helped by an old man and brought to a hospital room. Thanks to Dr. Raphael the operation was a miraculous success."

Shimatta, that sounded corny.

"Dr. Raphael …" Nambu's brows popped up.

Jun crouched next to him. "Isn't he the scientist who works for Galactor?" 

"He did." Joe looked away. "Now his sole purpose is to fight them."

Jinpei flopped to sit in front of him. "You were the one helping us in the mountain, right? Why didn't you show yourself?"

So many reasons. "I didn't want you to see me. Try and understand: I wanted to help you in secret. I knew I'd just bring trouble."

"What do you mean?" Jun reached for him, then withdrew her hand. 

Joe looked down. "I intend to defeat Sosai X myself. Revenge is the only thing I want."

"You're part of a team, Joe." This time Jun took his arm. "You don't have to fight them alone."

They wanted him to come back. It didn't seem possible. It _wasn't_ possible. Rising to his feet, Joe realized that again, he had no choice. There was no other way to explain.

With a heavy heart, he tapped his ear. "Come on out."

Honestly, he wasn't sure where Raven was. He saw them all jerk back, staring off to the side of the car. Holding out his hand, Joe beckoned him closer, and Raven practically slunk to his side. Without the car to protect him, he'd obviously taken a beating. His uniform was torn, and he was covered with so much soot that it was hard to make out his tattoos. 

Raven grabbed his hand with an almost crushing grip. Shaking, Raven took a position partly behind him, and Joe waited to make sure that things weren't about to get ugly. No one looked ready to rain down death. Joe finally turned his attention back to the others.

This time even Nambu looked shocked.  Served the bastard right.

"Ken …" Jun took a tentative step forward.

K'so. Joe felt the change in Raven's grip, heard the flick of talons extending. With every ounce of speed he had, Joe grabbed him from behind, hooking his arms under Raven's. 

Screaming like a banshee, Raven lunged to attack. Joe dug his feet into the sand, fighting for purchase. Over Raven's shoulder, he saw the raw hurt in Jun's luminous eyes. Worse, he saw Nambu realize the truth, that there was only one way Joe had the strength to hold back a homicidal Raven.

Raven kept screaming, so Joe yelled over the din, "I don't know how long I can hold him. Go!"

His shout jarred Nambu into action. The man herded their stunned friends onto the ship. Joe told himself this was for the best. Now they knew he was no longer one of them. He wouldn't have to make excuses about why he couldn't come back. 

And he wouldn't have to haunt them. 

The ship took off, but he didn't let go. Only when Raven's knees gave way did Joe relax his grip, sliding down with him as Raven started crying. That's when he saw the bracelet on the sand. 

Nambu …

It didn't seem possible. Was he really welcome back? 

Joe closed his eyes, holding the trembling wreck in his arms. They'd just have to accept it couldn't work. Raven could kill one of them so easily. Too easily. And the moment that happened, the horror might drive Ken so deep he'd never come back out. 

He stroked Raven's hair, rocking him, and resolved to at least take the bracelet. Contacting Nambu directly would make things easier. He'd just have to warn Raphael. The man didn't want the ISO or the team charging into his base.

Which meant disabling the bracelet's tracker. Joe smirked. Let Nambu get around that.


	8. Chapter 8

Joe parked in the hangar, then leaned forward, resting his forehead on the wheel. He was a cyborg. How the hell was he so exhausted?

Grabbing the bracelet, he got out of the car. Raven was twitching in an uneasy sleep, so Joe went around, opening his door. Then he crouched and carefully scooped his troubled companion into his arms. He felt like a parent with a child after a long trip. That was, until Raven nuzzled at his throat with a sigh. 

" _Now_ you're awake," Joe chuckled. Brat. "Which means you can walk."

The brat huffed, but stood as he was set down. "Only if we go right to bed."

"I was thinking of sleeping." Joe went to the equipment room, ditching most of his weapons. A war of wills loomed on the horizon. This one he'd win. He was too tired for anything else.

Raven hopped onto the counter. Lying on his stomach, he looked Joe over with a lusty stare. "I was thinking of fucking."

Joe rolled his eyes, refusing to look too closely. "When do you think of anything else?" 

Weapons put away, Joe left toward his room. He heard Raven slide from the counter, footsteps following, and the burst of speed as his companion sped past him. 

Once in front of him, Raven slid arms around his neck. Joe tensed, frowning. Push, push, push. All Raven did was push, to the point that he'd started giving in just to find some peace.

Well, not this time. "I'm tired." 

Joe tried to press him away. Instead, Raven melted his lean body in closer.

"I'll wake you up." Raven grinned, moving to kiss him.

This time, Joe shoved. "You need to learn that 'no' means no. It's been a hard day. Leave me alone."

Raven flinched as though he'd been struck. Refusing to let himself be manipulated, Joe stalked off, going to his room and slamming the door. He was tired of living his life around Raven's needs. What about his?

Pounding his fists into the wall made satisfying dents and cracks. The fact that it didn't hurt just pissed him off more. He paced, feeling very much like a zoo animal in a cage, the walls closing in.

As he moved, the bracelet shifted in his pocket. They'd take him back. Even knowing what he was, his friends would take him back. His family, the people who knew him like no one else.

All he had to do was ask. Except he couldn't. Raven was an albatross, an anchor around his neck. A wild card even Nambu couldn't plan for. 

Joe punched the wall again. This time, though, it was a half-hearted gesture. This wasn't Raven's fault. Sure, there were ways to blame this all on Ken, but Raven honestly didn't understand. 

Fuck. Joe sat on his bed, picturing Raven curled up in the corner of his original room, shaking and crying. He knew he should go offer reassurance. Problem was, he didn't trust his temper just yet, and blowing up again would make things far worse. 

Instead, he pulled out the bracelet. He couldn't handle talking to the team, not yet, but he needed to be sure of where he stood. After a moment's hesitation, he raised the bracelet. "Joe to Nambu."

Not G1, G2, or Condor. Just Joe. 

It was funny how badly his stomach churned. Did he even _have_ a stomach? Sure, he could eat to blend in, but he ran on rechargeable batteries, not food.

"Nambu here," came the response. The doctor sounded as hesitant as he felt. 

Joe closed his eyes. "How are they taking it?"

"They're elated … confused … angry … anxious … relieved …"

He'd sworn he wouldn't hurt them again. Joe fought the urge to punch the wall again. "You forced me into the light."

"I needed to know it was you."

That made sense, but he didn't have to like it. 

"I _wanted_ to know it was you," added Nambu after a silent moment. "I wanted to show you that you could come back. No matter how you survived, you can come back."

Joe let out a bitter laugh. "You know that's not true."

"Is your free will compromised?"

He tensed at that. Trust Nambu to get right to the point. "Not as far as I've noticed."

"How is …"

"Raven?" Joe didn't know if Raven was listening, cyborg hearing being what it was. Best not to take any chances.

"Yes, Raven."

"I think you saw."

"You can come back, Joe. Both of you. We've built containment for him."

"Containment?" Joe stood, starting to pace. "A prison? You've built a cyborg prison for him?"

"We've attempted to make it comfortable, but it's secure. I've also located a specialist. He needs treatment, Joe."

"You think I don't know that?" Joe kept pacing. "Locking him up will drive him crazier."

"He isn't confined now?" 

Nambu sounded alarmed. Joe supposed he couldn't blame the man. "We haven't needed to."

"He still needs treatment, Joe." The doctor's voice grew firmer. "At least let me send the trauma specialist."

That was tempting. Joe didn't know if Raphael would go for it, though. "I'll think about it."

After a long, awkward pause, Nambu spoke again. "Are you all right? Do you need anything?"

Yes, he did. He wanted his family back. He wanted his best friend back. He wanted to talk to Ken, to work through their feelings together. "I'm fine. Raven's improving. We can try coordinating our efforts, but everyone has to call him Raven. Next time, I might not be close or fast enough …"

"Understood." Another pause. "Joe, it's good to have you back."

"Thanks." Joe deactivated the link and shoved the bracelet back into his pocket. Despite what his foster father wanted to believe, what they all wanted to believe, he wasn't back. He'd never be back. 

The Condor was dead. Putting on the bracelet, and even the uniform, wouldn't change that. No amount of wishing would change it. He was a living weapon, on this earth with one single purpose. One he had every intention of fulfilling. 

### 

Raven huddled in the corner, hands over his ears. The ghosts mocked him, yelled at him, frozen hands raking over and through him. He shouldn't have tried to hurt them. Why did she have to use that name? Now Master would punish him. The Condor hated him. 

His head swam with voices. It hurt, a terrible pressure building, a storm front that would crush everything in its path. He didn't want this. He didn't want to be broken or defective. He wanted to be worthy. He didn't want …

The voices coalesced into a muddled tone. Raven let out a strangled cry as it reached inside him, his body spasming and slumping. The storm roared, threatening to sweep him away, and there was nowhere to hide. No shelter to run to.

A desperate hand reached for him through the dark. He tried to take it, but missed. The winds drove them apart, then he screamed as the storm washed him away.

### 

Joe thought he heard a cry, and ignored a pang of guilt. Raven would survive another moment by himself. 

A piercing scream said otherwise. Joe nearly collided with Ulf in the hall as they rushed toward Raven's original room. Instead of finding him rocking and crying, he was in the process of getting up, looking as calm as could be.

K'so. Joe wanted to choke him. If he'd been human, he'd have had a heart attack. "Why did you scream?" 

Raven turned to them with a strange, placid stare. "Where's Raphael?"

If the stare was odd, his flat voice was downright freaky. Joe frowned. "What's wrong?"

That blue-eyed gaze shifted to Ulf, who took a step back. 

"Where's Raphael?" Raven stared at Ulf, unblinking, then shifted his gaze back.

"Busy," said Ulf, eyes narrowing.

Joe looked deep into those baby blues and shuddered. They were empty, like no one was home at all. "What do you need?"

Raven started walking toward them. "Raphael is to be eliminated."

His voice stayed flat, intonation never changing. Joe glanced to Ulf, who was pressing a button on his wristband, looking as rattled as Joe had ever seen him. 

"Who are you?" Ulf dropped into a combat stance beside Joe.

Who? Cold fear squeezed Joe's chest. Was there another personality? One even more volatile than Raven?

Ulf might as well have asked if the sky was blue. Raven, or whoever he was, just kept walking. His expression never changed. 

A chime sounded from the lab. Ulf relaxed slightly, then stepped aside for Raven. Joe blinked in surprise, then followed along with him, trying to figure out the plan.

Raven reached the lab and looked around. "Where's Raphael?"

Was he on some kind of endless loop? Puzzled, Joe watched Ulf gesture to a door he'd never used.

"In there."

Moving with stiff precision, Raven went to the door. Ulf sighed, waiting until he stepped through, then slammed it shut behind him. Cyborg hearing revealed tumblers and locks activating, metal scraping against metal.

Joe shuddered. Once all was quiet, he finally felt safe to speak. "What the fuck was that?" 

Ulf went to one of the lab's computers. His fingers flew over the keyboard, and the monitor flared to life, showing Raven wandering an empty metal room in blank confusion.

"I'm not sure, but that room will hold him." Ulf pressed the button on his wristband again. Another chime sounded.

Joe paced, watching the monitor. This day just got better and better.

"What's happened?" Raphael finally deigned to join them.

"I have no idea." Joe gestured at the monitor. "He was asking for you. Said you needed to be eliminated."

The man got a sour look. "Katse may have interfered with my programming."

"You think? Why is he just standing there?" Joe found he actually preferred the tantrums.

"I'll need to scan him to be sure." Raphael went to one of the lab's many machines. "Wrestle him into the scanner, you two."

Joe looked to Ulf, who stared back with a healthy amount of alarm. It was Ulf who spoke first. "I'm not sure that's a good idea, Hakase."

"Produce Raphael." Raven's flat voice came through the computer's speakers. "Produce him for elimination."

Raphael crossed his arms, watching. "Right now, he isn't functioning as a cyborg. He's merely an automaton. Somehow, Katse must have slipped that programming past me."

Damn purple-suited freak. Joe clenched his hands, wondering if he could have stopped this if he hadn't ignored Raven. "Can you fix it?"

"We need to know what's triggering this." 

Ulf went to the communications computer, obeying the unspoken command. As his fingers flew over the keyboard, an ugly fear settled into Joe's chest, threatening to suffocate him. "You think Katse lives. That he's sending a signal."

"Yes." Even Raphael's voice was tense now. "The latest mission must have drawn his attention."

"Produce Raphael." Raven stood unnaturally still, facing the door. His eyes started to glow. "If Raphael is not eliminated, and this unit is not returned, it will self-destruct. You have five minutes."

'This unit.'Joe itched to destroy something. That's all Ken was to Katse. A machine, a prize to be paraded about, then shut down if there was any chance of him slipping away.

No way would Joe let Katse win. He initiated the door's unlocking sequence, almost dizzy with nerves. By the time the door hissed open, Ulf was beside him, Raphael waiting next to the scanner. 

Joe and Ulf fell in beside Raven as he emerged. At the sight of Raphael, Raven paused, then advanced. The flatness in Raven's eyes, the mechanical perfection of his movement, made Joe heartsick. He'd thought he wouldn't be happy again until he drew Ken out. There was something infectious, though about Raven's wild joy. 

That was a strange realization. While he'd be happiest having his best friend back, he'd come to actually _like_ Raven.

Maybe even more than like, which made Joe tense further as they approached Raphael. Raven's attention was laser-focused on the man, making it easy for Joe and Ulf to grab him and slam him into the scanner once he got there. 

With a mildly confused expression, he tried to get up. Raphael had already activated the sequence. The scanner immobilized its target, then lights blinked, indicating it was ready.

"Time's ticking," said Raphael, his voice strained.

Joe helped Ulf strip Raven. Once the scanner flared to life, Raphael went to a terminal, lips thinning into a grim line. Frustrated beyond belief, all Joe could do was wait. He pulled out a shuriken and nearly bit it in half.

"Three minutes left," said Ulf. He started grabbing metal tables, arranging them like shields between the scanner and Raphael.

While Joe knew he should help, he just stood there, right next to the scanner. They'd come so far. He wasn't abandoning Raven and Ken now. Either Raphael fixed this, or he'd lose his weapon against Sosai X.

"Two minutes." Ulf continued arranging the shield.

"It _is_ a signal. Damn him, it's a clever one. Not blocked by rock." Raphael worked quickly, and Joe didn't ask questions. The last thing he wanted to do was slow the doctor down.

"Signal blocked," Raphael huffed. "Now to find the offending code. We have to assume the clock's still ticking."

Joe couldn't open the scanner without ending the scan. Instead, he put his hands on its transparent hood. He'd never think of himself as gay, but that didn't change the way he felt. 

He spoke softly, not knowing if Raven or Ken could hear him. "Show him the code. Show him and I'll give you everything you wanted."

"One minute." Ulf finally stopped fussing with tables, moving to stand next to Raphael.

The doctor blinked. "There it is! It just flashed on my screen."

Keys clicked so fast Raphael could have been just sliding his fingers across the keyboard. Ulf started calling out the countdown at thirty seconds remaining, and Joe just stood there, stunned. Had they heard him? Which personality had answered?

Either way, as Ulf reached five, Raphael sighed with relief and stopped typing. Ulf kept counting, tension thick in the lab as they waited another five, then ten seconds. 

Joe finally broke the silence, his stupid voice cracking. "So that's done?"

Raphael huffed. "I'm not waking him up until I've done a full code and circuitry review. Who knows what else Katse's hidden?"

Wincing, Joe had to admit that was smart. "How long will that take?"

"Don't wait up."

His bed would feel strangely empty. "All right. Let me know when you've finished."

"I'm sure Raven will do so himself." Raphael didn't look up from the screen. "And Ulf, put the tables back. This is a lab, not a battlefield."

Joe choked back a laugh at Ulf's bemused expression, then left. Maybe it was for the best. If he was tired before, he was exhausted now. A horny Raven was a lightning ball of energy. 

Though, would it be Raven? Either way, he'd made a promise. As Joe stripped for a quick shower, though, he couldn't help but hope that it would be Ken.


	9. Chapter 9

Raven whimpered. Trying to move was like pressing through tar, demanding tons of effort just to sit up. It took him several tries before he managed to get upright. Only then did he realize he was on a table in the lab. 

"Well," said Master, "haven't we had quite the adventure?"

"We have?" Raven blinked, looking around.

"Some of us." Master snorted and stood. "I'm tired. Don't wake me unless it's necessary, Ulf."

"Of course, Hakase."

Raven turned to slide his feet off the table. When he stood, he wobbled, having to grip the cold metal. "What happened?"

"Nothing to trouble yourself with," said Ulf. "You took some damage during the mission. Hakase had to do some repairs."

Repairs? Raven suddenly remembered being consumed in flames. He shuddered.

"You've been out for a couple of days." Ulf gestured toward the living quarters. "Joe's asleep, I think. He said to send you along when you got up."

He had? Raven winced, remembering the last time they spoke. Since Ulf had never lied to him, though, he dared to hope the Condor had forgiven him. 

Entering the room didn't earn him any growls. Taking that as a good sign, he shut the door behind him. The Condor liked it dark so Raven hurried, walking quickly to reach the bed before the ghosts came. Then he slipped under the covers. 

The Condor draped an arm around him, pulling him close. Raven smiled and nearly cried. Everything would be okay. 

### 

Joe woke to a warm body in his arms, spooned back against him. The curve of Raven's bare ass pressing into him felt oddly right. Which was good, since morning wood had him eager to fulfill his promise. 

Grinning, Joe kissed the back of Raven's neck. A little purr spurred him on, kissing along Raven's shoulder while sliding a hand along his taut stomach. Raven let out a soft moan, pressing even harder back. For once, Joe let his hips move, grinding against his lover. 

Raven shivered against him. Joe leaned closer, murmuring into his ear, "Hey there."

Twisting, Raven tried to turn around, but Joe gripped his hips to hold him in place. Wide blue eyes fixed him with a searching look. Even in the darkness, cyborg sight let Joe see his hope and confusion.

He'd expected the words to feel awkward. Instead, Joe felt a surge of hunger and lust. "Still want me to fuck you?"

Raven tensed. For one crazy moment, Joe thought he might say no. A low groan tossed that thought out the window. 

"Yes," said Raven with eager intensity. "Fuck me."

Joe shuddered, sliding his hand along Raven's stomach again. "You'll have to tell me what to do. I don't want to hurt you."

"You won't hurt me. You can't." Raven let out a strange giggle.

Frowning, Joe pushed Raven onto his back. He kept his voice firm, trying not to sound as angry as he felt. "You've been hurt too much. I don't want to hurt you further, and you shouldn't let me." 

His heart ached at the confusion etched on Raven's features. They stayed like that for a long while, and Joe decided this was one of Raven's oddly endearing qualities, this ability to lose himself in utter confusion. There was a time when Joe saw it as very un-Ken-like. After a while, though, it reminded him of Ken's baffled expressions around girls.

And to think he'd thought Ken was oblivious. 

As badly as Joe wanted to seduce Raven out of his stupor, he made himself wait. Settling on his side, against Raven, Joe stroked his hair and found an odd memory jostling toward the surface. 

How old were they at the time? Sixteen? They'd decided, on a rare day off, to go into the city. It hadn't taken long to find a teen hangout, and from there, to find a smokin' babe who looked at them like dinner.

_"So, boys," she grinned. "Are there more like you at home?"_

_Joe watched Ken try to slide from the booth. He grabbed his brother's shirt before he could escape._

_"No," Joe said, ignoring the pressure point Ken was trying to jab in his wrist. "I think I can safely say there's no one else like us."_

_"You know," she said, practically wrapping her tongue around her straw as she drank, "I've always had this fantasy. A threesome."_

_This really was his lucky day. Maybe he'd let Ken escape after all. In the meantime, that pressure point really fucking hurt. He kicked Ken under the table. Of course, Ken kicked him back._

_"Oh really?" Joe looked around the club. "You have a friend who wants to join us?"_

_She laughed. "No, silly, I mean with two guys. You know, one at each end."_

_Ken spluttered, spilling some of his drink. Even Joe nearly spit his across the booth._

_"You don't have to touch each other, of course," she giggled. "Though it'd be hot as hell."_

_Joe didn't dare look at Ken. He knew if he did, he'd get a clear signal that this wasn't happening. No way was he blowing this chance to show his uptight brother that there was more to life than training and studying._

_With a shit-eating grin and his jeans starting to feel a bit tight, Joe said, "Sure, why the hell not? As long as I don't have to kiss him or anything."_

_Vicious pain flared in his hand. Joe yelped, letting go, to find Ken on his feet and practically shaking in fury._

_As Ken drew his hand back, Joe's brief but eventful life flashed before his eyes. If this was the face their enemies would see when attacked, they were going to piss themselves, and even Joe was tempted to make the sign of the cross._

_Then Ken just … deflated. "Fuck you."_

_Joe nearly commented that he was trying to get them both fucked, but something in Ken's eyes told him to back off. The anger was still there, but there was something else too. Hurt?_

_Ken shoved his hands into his pockets and left._

_They watched him go, and the girl sighed. "He's too pretty to be a homophobe."_

_"He's not." Joe was sure of it. "He's just really uptight. I guess if I want to loosen him up, jumping straight to threesomes is pushing a bit hard."_

_"At least I still have my fantasies." She curled her tongue around the straw again. "But if you're game, we can salvage something."_

_Joe's mouth went dry. Fuck yes, he was game. He'd find out what was wrong with uptight boy later. They were training for war. He was going to get what pleasure he could, when he could._

_And he had the feeling this chick was offering a hell of a lot of pleasure._

Reliving the memory was like watching a train wreck. How many subtle and blatant hints had he ignored? How many times had he stuck a knife in Ken's heart, twisting it with bluster about conquests? 

Joe stroked Raven's cheek, relieved to see him blink. Here he was telling Raven not to let himself be hurt, but no one had told Ken. Raven turned toward him, eyes still huge, and Joe smiled. He'd meant it. No one would hurt either of them again. That included him.

"You really mean it?" Raven slid so close their bodies were flush together, their noses almost touching.

Words apparently weren't enough. Joe kissed him, sliding fingers into Raven's unruly hair. His lover let out a soft sigh, lips parting, and it wasn't long before their mutual explorations left Joe breathless.

This was no longer about appeasing Raven. Pressing him onto his back, Joe crawled over him, _needing_ him. "Tell me what you want, and how you like it."

Raven bit his lip with a shy look. Then he slid out from under, and out of the bed. "Be right back."

That hadn't quite been the response Joe expected. Still, he waited, curious to see what Raven was up to. 

The bathroom light flicked on. Joe heard him rummaging about, and soon began to wonder if Raven was taking him a little too seriously. Cabinets slapped shut, and the sight of his lean form silhouetted in the doorway melted Joe's brain.

Raven reached to shut off the light, but Joe growled, "Leave it. I want to see you."

With an uncharacteristically shy smile, Raven returned, holding a pump bottle. He held it up and Joe realized it was lotion. That was useful, wasn't it?

Raven pressed Joe onto his back, then settled over him, purring with raw sensuality as Joe slid his hands down that graceful back. His breath caught as Raven lay flush against him, grinding hard flesh to hard flesh, and the room almost spun in delicious anticipation. 

"Tell me what you want," he demanded, grasping those squirming hips. "Or show me."

"I want _you_. Now." Raven crawled down, swallowing all of Joe's length with practiced ease. 

Joe groaned, hips straining upward. He dug his fingers into Raven's hair, torn between pressing down to plunge deeper, or pulling him away so things weren't over too soon. After a few bobs of his head and a low hum from the base of his throat, Raven made the choice for him. 

It didn't seem possible to get even harder, but when Raven grabbed the bottle, Joe felt everything that counted tighten. Raven was all devilish minx as he pumped out a generous amount of lotion. Those sky-blue eyes watched him eagerly as Raven reached down, slathering it on Joe's cock.

The lotion was cold. Joe hissed, but not really in complaint. Then Raven straddled him, his gaze searing as he positioned himself. Joe groaned as the tip of his cock touched warm flesh, and could barely think as Raven lowered himself, enveloping him in impossibly tight heat. 

He opened his eyes as Raven sank, taking more of him. The moment he saw Raven's face twisted in pain, though, Joe growled and forced himself to pull away. "Why are you hurting yourself?"

Raven blinked, brow furrowed in confusion. "I want you."

Feeling sick, Joe realized Raven might not know how to do this without pain. He rolled them over, pressing Raven into the bed. "And I want you, but I _love_ you. I won't hurt you."

Blue eyes widened and filled with tears. For a moment, Joe thought he'd lost him, but Raven grabbed him kissed him with feverish desperation. Had anyone ever told him they loved him? Joe fought back sadness and anger, suspecting not. He focused wholly on showing Raven that while he hadn't meant to say it, he did mean it.

Reaching down, he clumsily positioned himself. Raven wrapped a leg around him, eagerly pushing as Joe tried this again. This time _he_ controlled the pace, his body protesting the slow entry, craving to bury itself fully.

Using the ebb and flow of tension in Raven's body as a guide, Joe finally rested flush against him. To his surprise, nothing about this felt awkward or wrong. If anything, it felt _too_ good. He held himself still, making himself calm, though Raven's squirming wasn't helping.

Once he felt more in control, Joe opened his eyes again. Watching Raven's face, he let his hips move, starting to pump. Raven's eyes were closed, those long, thick lashes fanned out and fluttering. His lips had slightly parted, releasing moans and sighs as their bodies rocked together.

Joe leaned in, kissing him. "Is this how you like it?" 

"Harder." Raven's leg tightened around him, blue eyes snapping open.

The tone of command made Joe let out a throaty chuckle. "Hai."

His body was quite happy to comply as he picked up speed. Wondering why he'd put it off so long, Joe kept focused on Raven, watching for signs he was causing any pain. All he saw in his lover's expression was pure, joyous pleasure. 

The faster and harder he pumped, the more Raven arched against him. Joe had been with some wild girls in his day. Still, he'd never felt so free to fully unleash himself. Finally sure that he wasn't causing pain, Joe let go, driven only by instinct and the pitch of Raven's responses. It felt so perfect as their bodies slammed together. 

"Joe …" Raven started breathing his name with every few thrusts, practically a chant and prayer.

No matter how much Joe had asked, Raven always defaulted to calling him Condor. Hearing his name just inflamed him further. He didn't know how much longer he could last.

Raven's body started tightening around him. "Joji …"

Gasping, Joe drove in harder. Raven arched then cried out, his body spasming. Pulses of warmth shot over Joe's stomach, but he barely registered them as Raven's orgasm drove him over the edge. The force of it surprised him, his whole body shuddering as he emptied himself deep inside his lover.

When he collapsed, panting, Joe turned them toward their sides. Resting his forehead against Raven's, he basked in the strange feeling of completeness. That was, until Raven started to tense, and then shake.

"What's wrong?" Joe opened his eyes, going cold at the hate and rage staring back at him. Before he could even think of responding, Raven screamed, attacking with a fury Joe had never seen. 

Joe was so stunned he could barely defend himself. As he struggled to avoid being torn apart, he slowly registered that Raven's screams were usually higher pitched. Next it sunk in that Raven was ranting, most of it incoherent, but individual words started sinking in.

'Monster' … 'hate' … 'kill' … _'Katse'_ …

Holy fuck … Raven never, _ever_ called the purple freak 'Katse' …

"Ken!" Joe desperately tried to pin him down. "Ken, it's me! Joe!"

"Liar!" 

Ken's tear-filled shriek broke Joe's heart. What had that animal done to him? 

Luckily, Joe could tell the force of Ken's fury was draining. He resigned himself to riding it out, letting Ken pound on him until he collapsed into a sobbing heap. It caused Joe physical pain to note that while Raven cried like a frightened child, Ken's cries sounded far more broken, like someone had torn out his heart, devoured it, then shit it away.

Joe touched his hair, trying to pull him close. "It's really me, Ken. I'm really here."

Shaking his head, Ken jerked away, trembling and still breathing hard. "Joe wouldn't … he'd never … your drugs have worn off, you sick fuck, leave me alone …"

The despair in Ken's voice made it hard for Joe to hear his words. It took a minute for them to sink in, and when they did, he wanted to scream. Katse had figured Ken out. Katse had used that talent with disguises to become … _him._

Rage had Joe grinding his teeth. "That bastard. I'll tear him to pieces myself."

Ken laughed, a jaded cackle that bordered on hysteria. With a terrible chill, Joe feared that out of the two of them, Raven was the sane one.

"You don't give up." Ken kept laughing, crying at the same time. "That was a good one."

Joe watched him for a long while. Finally, he did the only thing he could think of. He started softly telling Ken everything he remembered. Their rather disastrous first meeting when he was practically feral, and poor Ken just wanted to be friends. All the awkward moments they'd shared growing up together, even — especially — the ones he'd rather forget.

Things no one else could know. Things that not even Katse's brilliance, bribes, or research could have uncovered. 

Throughout, Ken cried harder, then started to settle. When Joe ran out of things to say about himself, he started talking about Jun, Ryu, and Jinpei. Admitting the hundreds of ways he'd tried to set Jun and Ken up was the hardest. If he hadn't interfered, would Jun have moved on further?

No changing that now. Ken had gone still and quiet, but Joe could hear from his breathing that he was listening. "Do I need to start with Nambu now?"

"I could have told you," Ken said faintly, his voice shaky. "All of it. I could have told you."

Joe couldn't even imagine Ken spilling his guts like that. "Really? Every single detail?"

"How would I know?" His tone was edging toward hysteria again. "I lose huge gaps of time. I wake up covered with blood, surrounded by bodies. I don't even know where I am."

Raven … 

When Ken got out of bed, Joe reached for him. Ken shied away and turned on the room's main lights. He started exploring the room with his old intensity, looking in every drawer, every nook and cranny. 

Joe sat up and watched. He took in the trembling hands, the terrible exhaustion in Ken's expression. Sitting back and letting things happen wasn't his strength. He wanted to grab Ken and shake him back to his senses, but that wasn't what his friend needed. 

Ken needed patience. For him, Joe would try. 

The search reached the bathroom. Joe stood to keep an eye on him, and ached as Ken stared into the mirror, hands trembling worse as he touched his face. He'd grown used to the tattoos but Ken definitely hadn't. 

A shriek of rage had Joe cringing back. Ken pulverized the mirror, pounding it again and again until it was nothing but shards. When he was done, he stared at his hands, and Joe knew the pain of what he was seeing. No cuts. No blood.

Not human.

Still, Joe got nervous when Ken picked up a shard. "Ken …"

Hate flashed in those sky-blue eyes. Joe watched in horror as Ken tried to cut himself. He slashed at his wrists, face, throat, chest, always over the tattoos. The glass didn't even leave a mark. His expression twisted in frustration and he clenched his hand, squeezing the shard until all he held was grains as fine as sand.

"There's nothing left for you to take." Ken's voice was painfully hollow. "You've even taken death."

"Ken," said Joe, desperate to reach him, "how can I convince you?"

He let Ken surge at him, not fighting the hands that grabbed his throat. The rage burned in Ken's eyes again, but there was confusion too, and Joe clung to that small hope.

Ken snarled, "You can die." 

This time, Joe defended himself. As he did the bare minimum to keep from being mutilated, he noticed the door opening, and Ulf watching with confusion. 

"Ulf, meet Ken … _URK_ …" Joe managed to turn before he smashed into the wall. When Ken didn't immediately dive after him, Joe said a silent hallelujah. 

"And who the hell are you?" 

Joe had to admit that, to Ulf's credit, he looked into blue eyes of fury with his usual calm. 

"I'm Hakase's assistant."

"Hakase who?"

Ulf glanced at Joe, who shrugged. Ken probably didn't like Raphael, but lying to him was the worst thing they could do. 

"Dr. Raphael," said Ulf.

Ken went rigid. His eyes flared as he advanced toward Ulf. "Where is he?"

It occurred to Joe that Ken hadn't noticed he wasn't dressed, or he didn't care. He tucked that concern away for the moment. No way was he letting Katse get his wish. Raphael wouldn't be "eliminated."

"Probably in the lab." Ulf didn't step out of the way. "But I'd rather you cool down before seeing him."

Ken's laugh was beyond bitter. "You'd rather I _calm down_? This charade is pathetic."

Joe saw understanding dawn in Ulf's eyes. The man glanced to him for just a moment, and Joe shrugged. Like he knew what to do.

"Let me go before I kill your master," snarled Ken, pointing to Joe.

Mouth twitching as he clearly held back a laugh, Ulf raised his brows. "It looks like you've already tried to kill Joe."

"That … isn't … Joe!" Ken launched at him.

Ulf dodged, using Ken's momentum to propel him into the opposite wall. While he was momentarily stunned, Ulf shoved him back into the room with Joe, resuming his blockade of the doorway. Joe caught Ken before he fell, but that just pissed him off more. He launched out of Joe's arms and spun, nearly falling over before dropping into a combat pose.

This had to be karma. Joe was being punished for his own temper. Spreading his hands helplessly, he said, "In a way I'm not Joe. Haven't you noticed I match you strength for strength, and speed for speed?"

Ken eyed him uncomfortably, then adjusted so he could see both of them at once. As far as Joe could see, he'd swung away from pure rage, and was racing back toward utter hysteria. 

"Don't you remember?" Joe was tempted to step just a bit closer, but he didn't want to set Ken off again. "I hit you with the EMP? We went down with Katse's ship?"

Joe caught the slight flicker of recognition. He pressed his advantage. "Raphael was waiting for his chance to escape Galactor. His people dug both of us out of the wreckage."

Shaking his head, Ken backed away. His eyes looked haunted, though, and Joe hoped he was remembering. 

"They dug us out and brought us here," Joe continued, forcing himself not to advance. "When I woke up, Raphael was in the process of making me a cyborg."

"No ..." Ken sank to his knees, the word coming out as a low moan. "No, no …"

Joe grimaced, sitting next to him. He wanted to say it wasn't so bad, that everything would be okay, but it wasn't. Not for either of them. "Raphael found out who really controls Galactor. He's made me … us … into weapons to stop it."

"Sosai X." Ken's voice was hollow again, his eyes empty. "It made Katse. There's no stopping it."

"We can, and we will. You and me. Together." Joe took Ken's hands, relieved when he didn't pull away. 

Tears filled Ken's eyes. His lips smiled, but it didn't reach the rest of his face, his gaze remaining dead and empty. "Maybe I've totally snapped. Made my own fantasy world."

Joe didn't know what else to do. He reached for Ken, and this time he didn't pull away. Drawing him close, Joe kissed his forehead, then just held him. At least when he started crying it didn't sound quite so broken. Just tired. Very tired.

But Ken was back. For how long, Joe had no idea, but it was a start.


	10. Chapter 10

Ken knew he'd eventually wake up. He'd wake to chains in the dark, to taunting in a room full of cruel bodies. This dream place, this fantasy, was seductive enough that he hoped it wasn't soon. He could stay here a while. He wouldn't mind.

Not that he wanted Joe to share his fate. Why dream Joe was a cyborg? Did he figure that way, Joe might want him? Was that why he dreamed them having sex? 

It was a good dream. He'd like to have it again. 

If this turned out to be another trick, though, he'd find a way to kill Katse this time. He just had to give nothing away. Offer no new information. As long as he was the only one hurt by being fooled, he could live with that. 

Not that he'd like it, but he could live with it.

### 

Joe didn't know how to deal with these feelings. He hated when people hovered over him, no matter how helpful their intentions. Now he found himself staying close, sitting on the edge of the bed as Ken slept, replaying everything.

The whole encounter was deeply disturbing. Ken wanted to die, but not every attempted slash would kill him. It was hard to imagine Raven without his tattoos. He seemed to like them. For Ken, though, Joe knew it had to feel like Galactor had tagged him with sick graffiti. Graffiti that he'd mutilate himself to be rid of.

Could Raphael remove the tattoos? Cyborg skin wasn't real, after all. With a wince, Joe tried to picture Raven's reaction. Suddenly he wouldn't look like himself. He'd feel as violated as Ken must feel now.

 _If_ Raven came back. A sense of loss washed through him, which made him feel like a traitor. K'so, even if Katse was dead, he was still fucking with them. 

Ken jerked in his sleep. Moments later, he let out a pained keen, the sound sending an awful shiver down Joe's spine. Frustration threatened to spill over into panic. Every step forward in healing lead to two steps back, revealing so much more pain and damage. 

The jerking grew more violent. Ken surged awake, thrashing in the blankets. 

"It's okay." Joe put a hand on his shoulder. The next thing he knew, his arm was twisted up behind him, wrenched hard enough to be painful. 

"Don't touch me. _Never_ touch me." 

Somehow the snarled warning was weakened by Ken's trembling. Joe held up his free hand, forcing himself to sound calm. "Still suspect, am I?"

"Yes." Ken wrenched his arm a bit more for emphasis, then let go, sliding off of the bed.

At least he hadn't lost his fight. Joe supposed that was something. Would be nice if it wasn't aimed at _him_ , but beggars couldn't be choosers. 

"I want clothes." Ken looked over the room.

Joe leaned back against the wall, rolling and flexing his arm. He'd already pulled on jeans and a shirt, as much to protect sensitive parts of his anatomy as anything else. "Take your pick."

After rifling through the drawers and closet, Ken yanked on underwear, jeans, and a t-shirt. Joe knew him well enough to spot the brief flare of hands as Ken tried to center himself. Thinking, planning, both good and bad signs. Good in that Ken was acting like himself. Bad in that Ken thought he was a captive. 

"Why are you still here?" Ken snapped. "You've had your fun."

"Ouch." The word slipped out before Joe could stop it. Goading or mocking Ken didn't seem like the best tactic.

"Go away." 

Joe felt a pang of loss. His tone was almost the Eagle, but with a waver of fear Gatchaman would never have allowed. "I won't touch you if you don't want. But I'm not leaving you by yourself."

With a snort, Ken turned to glare at him. "If this is a dream, it's my dream. Go the fuck away."

All the attitude was making it hard not to bait. Joe smirked. "You never were a morning person."

"Real, hallucination, or a dream, you always were an ass." Ken went to the door, opening it. 

Joe chuckled as Ken peered into the hall. Was it nuts that he missed their stupid arguments?

"Where are we?" Ken stepped tentatively out of the room, pausing and looking around again. 

"Raphael's base." 

The mention of Raphael had Ken standing rigid again. Hands clenched, he turned right, which would take him straight to the lab. Joe followed, unsure how he felt about the inevitable confrontation. Should he warn Raphael they were coming? Did the man _deserve_ a warning?

They made it halfway there before Ken whirled, fixing him with an exasperated glare. "Stop following me!"

Well, that took care of the warning. "Nope."

Ken looked him up and down, jaw muscles jumping. "Joe wouldn't be clingy."

Never in his life had Joe been called clingy. He chuckled again, which earned him another glare, which nearly made him laugh. Ken was right. He _was_ an ass for finding it entertaining. That didn't make it any less funny.

His amusement dissipated, though, as Ken reached the lab. He watched his friend's clenched hands and tight movements speed up as he spotted the doctor. Hopefully Ken wouldn't force him to intervene. Last Joe checked, tackling counted as touching. 

"You," Ken snarled, the whole of his fury focused toward Raphael. "You ruined my fucking life."

Now there was a sentiment Joe understood. He smirked, reaching the lab and noting how unconcerned the man looked. Did Raphael have some kind of fail-safe? 

"If you didn't want the enemy to hate you, you should have gone into landscaping." Raphael barely looked up from what he was doing.

Ken apparently didn't see the humor in the comment. He stalked toward Raphael, his muscles bunching to charge, then stumbled. Panic flared in his eyes as he fell to his knees. Joe rushed forward to help him, but at the last second Ken's terrified cringe stopped him.

"Are you hurt?" Joe backed up a few steps, pulse hammering fast.

"His dampener has activated," said Raphael. 

Joe clenched his teeth. "Then deactivate it."

"I have no intention of letting him kill me." 

Ken's frightened whine suggested there were many kinds of pain. He started to shake, breaths shallow and fumbling as he tried to get up.

"Let him go." Joe growled, advancing on Raphael.

Still, Raphael didn't look up from the component he was working on. "You would prefer I re-activate the punishment chip?"

"No! No, no, no …" Ken sluggishly backed away on all fours, shaking his head, his voice cracking.

"Take him back to your room," said Raphael. "It will wear off in a few minutes."

On some logical level, Joe could see this was the most humane approach. Watching his best friend cower like a whipped dog, though, made him want to smash Raphael's head through the table. He approached Ken slowly, fighting back his own anger and frustration. It wasn't important. 

"Come on, why don't you lie down?" Joe wanted to reach out, but didn't let himself. 

Ken suddenly noticed him. Blue eyes opened wide, and he scrambled, not stopping until he sat shaking with his back to a corner. 

How many times? Joe sat on the floor, heart breaking yet again. K'so, he didn't even want to _think_ the word, but he made himself. How many times had they raped him? How many times, for Ken to be huddled in a corner, a twenty-one-year-old man cowering like a terrified child?

_"Joe wouldn't … he'd never … your drugs have worn off, you sick shit, leave me alone …"_

_"There's nothing left for you to take … You've even taken death."_

Ken's lashes started to lower. He drooped, his head falling forward. For a moment, Joe thought he might pass out, but then his head snapped back up. 

Bright eyes stared at him in confusion. Blinking, Ken looked around. "How did I get here?"

Something was off. When Joe didn't answer, Ken shrugged, crawling over to nestle against him. 

No, not Ken … Raven …

One step forward, two steps back. Joe slid an arm around him, intending to comfort Raven, but finding that it comforted him too. 

"What's wrong?" Raven rested his cheek against Joe's shoulder.

Everything. Everything was wrong. He had no way to explain that to Raven, though. No way that wasn't hurtful. Right now, he needed to feel like he wasn't hurting one of them, at least. 

Joe stood, offering Raven a hand up. That strangely innocent gaze searched his, then shrugged, accepting and letting himself be pulled. The moment Raven was on his feet, Joe felt the flutter of a kiss brush against his lips. 

Accepting his affections felt wrong, like he was breaking his promise to Ken. But he'd promised not to touch without permission. Raven never so much gave permission as demanded.

Speaking of Raven, Joe found blue eyes staring at him. "What?"

"Dance with me." Raven grinned.

Joe groaned. "Oh no. Music and dancing is _your_ thing, not mine."

The stare continued, then Raven's mouth quirked into a naughty grin. "I could dance _for_ you."

There was an idea fraught with danger. Was this what Ken would be like if he felt free to be himself? Joe knew he needed time to absorb all of this, and he couldn't do it with Raven winding him up. "I have work to do. Maybe later."

He was pretty sure the only words Raven heard were "maybe later." Still, it meant he bounded happily off to grab his music player, no doubt planning to turn the hangar into his own personal dance floor again. 

Glancing over, he saw Raphael still working like nothing had happened. Joe wanted to be angry over his driving Ken away. It would have been easy, though, for the doctor to rely on his old methods of control. 

As much as Joe hated the need for it, the dampening option didn't involve pain and agonized screams. Had Raphael installed the same "feature" in _him_? 

Joe eyed the man. He wouldn't be surprised. Like it or not, it was time to have a talk with the doctor. Joe pulled up a stool. "Tell me everything you remember about Ken's time with Galactor."

"Are you sure you want to know?"

Joe blinked, a bit surprised that Raphael wasn't claiming he was too busy. "If it might help him."

"Then I'll want tea."

When the man wanted tea, the man wanted tea. Joe had long since learned there was no putting that off, so he stood. "I'll make it."

Raphael would have his tea. Then they'd talk.

### 

Joe moved through the next few days in a fog. Just the small part that Raphael witnessed was enough to make him regret asking. Yet, he'd made himself listen to every word. 

Did the man have ice in his veins? How could he watch that and do nothing? 

Though … Joe put a hand over the bomb in his chest. Raphael _had_ done something. Too little, too late, as far as he was concerned, but something. Only the need to know everything kept him from throttling his new mentor. Now that he knew, he desperately wanted to commit violence. 

Speaking of the urge to commit violence, he felt Raven staring at him as he worked on his car. "I'm busy."

"You're always busy." Raven plunked down to sit next to his feet. 

The slight whine to his voice wasn't helping Joe's mood. "You're always bored. You need a hobby."

Or sedatives. Lots of sedatives.

"I have a hobby." Raven traced fingers along Joe's ankle, working up his leg. 

Joe rolled his eyes, annoyed that his body responded. "Giving blow jobs is not a hobby."

"Why not?" Raven's teasing fingers kept creeping up his leg. "I like it. You like it."

K'so, he didn't need this. He didn't want to ache for that skilled mouth, while picturing Ken's gruelling torment. Unfortunately, with most of his body under the car, he couldn't defend himself either. That left him no choice but to slide out and sit up.

Raven bit his lip with a grin of triumph. "I knew you couldn't resist."

"Living with you is like being trapped in a bad porno." Joe leaned back against the car, trying to decide how to handle this.

"Is that bad?" Raven crawled to straddle his lap.

Joe sighed, trying to bring his temper to heel. "What are your earliest memories?"

Raven pursed his lips in pouty annoyance. "I don't want to talk about that. I want to play."

He tried sliding his hands along Joe's chest, but Joe caught his wrists. "I want to talk about it. I need to talk about it."

"Why?" Raven's smile faltered.

Why indeed? Joe loosened his grip on Raven's wrists, though he didn't let go. He'd let Raven avoid those memories long enough. "There's things I'm trying to deal with, to understand. I need your help."

"It's over. I don't want to think about it." Raven tried pulling away, but Joe tightened his grip, holding firm.

"You're right, it's over." Right then, Raven looked every bit the frightened child, yet not as consumed with terror as Ken was earlier. Joe was hard-pressed to decide which one of them was stronger. "But it's hurt you."

Raven shuddered, scrunching his eyes tight. "Please."

Pity had stayed his hand more than once. Joe wouldn't let it, not this time. "If it helps, look at me. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."

Those tear-filled eyes opened, then shut again. Raven leaned in against him, his cheek against Joe's chest, and Joe didn't push him away.

"Pain …" Raven whispered. "Everything was pain. Then it stopped, and Master was there. He gave me my name. He seemed happy."

Joe tried to imagine that. How did he tell Raven that he was just a fracture? "Nothing before that?"

Swallowing, Raven shook his head. Joe could feel his pulse racing as he waited to see if Raven would melt down, but he didn't. Instead, he just waited with an uneasy fidget, like he expected things to get more unpleasant. 

"All right," sighed Joe, realizing he should reward Raven for cooperating. "Let me finish this, and we can do something."

Raven brightened. "Like what?" 

Joe almost said, "You pick." Then he realized he'd probably regret it. "Think of something that doesn't involve dancing or sex."

Somehow he wasn't shocked at Raven's perplexed expression. He was pretty sure most of Raven's brain was devoted to those two topics. Grinning, he lay down and slid back under the car. This should be interesting.

### 

Raven considered what he wanted to do. He'd love to fly, but Master had forbidden it unless it was necessary. Something about it drawing too much attention.

As he watched the Condor work on his car, an idea started to sprout. If he couldn't fly …

Bouncing with excitement, Raven waited for his lover to finish his work. The moment the Condor slid out from under the car, Raven grinned and said, "I've chosen."

The Condor got one of his worried looks. Grin widening, Raven said, "I want to drive your car. Fast."

He watched as the Condor's eyes narrowed. "Like hell."

Raven crossed his arms, pouting. "You said I could pick."

"Anything but that." The Condor stood, wiping some of the grease from his hands on a greasy cloth.

"Then I want to fly."

The Condor opened his mouth to speak, then closed it. "Shimatta. Fine. Do you even know _how_ to drive?"

Raven rolled his eyes. "How do you think I've moved the car?"

"Good point. I'll shower, check the maps, then we'll go."

Grinning, Raven pulled out his headphones. This was gonna be fun.

### 

Joe hadn't felt so much dread in years. Even when he lost that insane fucking bet and had to let Jinpei drive the G-2, with him in it, he hadn't been this nervous.

Finding a decent road hadn't been easy. A little-traveled highway, well-maintained, with no chance of pedestrians, and that wasn't ridiculous to reach from their base. It should have enough curves to make things interesting, too. 

Choosing the location was academic. Now that they were close, pausing to let the car to convert back to land use, things were getting real. 

"Now?" Raven grinned.

Joe rolled his eyes. "Not quite yet. Let's get there first."

For the next ten miles, he had to field the same damn question every few minutes. Then, just as Raven started to ask again, Joe held his hand up. "Yes. Now."

Silently reciting the Lord's Prayer, Joe pulled over. They both got out, Raven practically dancing over to the driver's seat, and Joe crossed himself. He should have updated his will. Should have called in a warning to the National Guard, too.

He forced himself to take a calming breath. As he fastened his seat belt, he said, "You wreck my car, you're sleeping by yourself for a month."

It worried him that Raven just grinned. That grin got bigger as the wild child peeled out, driving with the same abandon that he did everything else. They whipped around curves, tires skidding as Raven took each a hair too fast, and Joe vowed next time to make less open-ended promises.

With relief, he spotted the landmark he was looking for. "We're approaching the end of the safe zone."

"Hold on!"

"What? Fuck!" Joe closed his eyes as Raven spun the car, then gunned it to head back the way they came. At that moment, he swore that Raven was never, ever taking the driver's seat again. The loon wasn't so much as starting the car for him anymore.

Shimatta, he was scarier than Jinpei.


	11. Chapter 11

Joe felt a chill as he looked over the intel. Could it be possible? 

He looked for Ulf, to see him examining a component nearby. "Hey, Ulf, read this and tell me what you see."

Ulf came over and Joe stood, letting the man take his seat. Watching the man's expression fall from curious to concerned confirmed his fears. 

"So it's confirmed. Katse's alive. He's regrouping," said Ulf.

"With this Gel Sadra as his second." Joe frowned. "What do we have on her?"

"Aside from the fact that she's very strange," said Ulf, his tone dry, "very little. She's not said to have Katse's brilliance. That's something. But she's another creation of Sosai X."

"He must have decided he needed a backup." Just like they'd decided they needed alternates for the team. Joe smirked. Apparently the alien also made that decision a step too late. They must have come close to killing Katse.

Joe looked toward the hall, glad not to see Raven. Hopefully, he wasn't listening. He had no idea how Raven or Ken would react to Katse. It seemed fair to assume it wouldn't go well. 

"Find out everything you can about this base." Joe stood, pulling the bracelet from his pocket. "I'll talk to Nambu."

"I'll send the data to him over secure channels," said Ulf.

"Thanks." Joe stepped to the back of the lab. In the week and change since he was forced to reveal himself to the team, he'd talked a couple of times with Nambu. He hadn't known how to bridge the gap with the others, though. By the end of the day, he had the bad feeling he'd be forced to.

At least they'd managed somewhat of a gear transfer. Soon, he suspected he'd be thankful for that too.

### 

Raven froze at the sight of someone in a blue cape entering the equipment room. When he could no longer see them, he ran to follow. Finding the Condor in his old uniform made Raven terribly uneasy. "W-why are you wearing that?"

"Because I need to help the team." The Condor taking extra weapons and ammo.

"Then I'm coming." Raven reached for his suit, but the Condor grabbed his wrist. His steel-grey eyes looked more blue, and more serious, through his tinted visor. "You can't. I need you to stay here."

"Why?" Tears stung Raven's eyes. "Are you not coming back?"

A gloved hand stroked his cheek. "I'll be back. I promise." 

The Condor swept from the room. Raven immediately tried to open the drawer with his gear, but it was locked. He ran to the hangar, but the Condor's car was gone, only the smell of exhaust lingering.

Without his suit, he had no jets. Raven tried another car, but nothing would start. Frustrated to tears, he ran to find Ulf and Master. "Why can't I go?"

"Lay on the scanner," said Master.

Raven hesitated. It could be a trick.

"I don't have time for this, Raven." Master sounded cross. "Lay on the scanner and I'll keep you awake. I'll tell you what you want to know."

Swallowing, Raven stripped and then lay on the scanner. It closed, mostly paralyzing him. 

"You can't go, child, because they think they'll find Katse." 

A muted cry escaped him. His former master would do horrible things to the Condor, terrible things. He struggled to get up, but he couldn't even move his fingers. The paralysis was too strong.

"I've outfitted him with a sensor net," said Master. "I fear this may be a trap, but no one wanted to hear that. If it is, you may be the only one able to save them."

Him? Tears coursed down his cheeks. What could he do?

Ulf stepped beside him, placing a hand on the scanner's casing. "Dr. Nambu sent us your old uniform. We've integrated it with your current one. You can change between them with your altered bracelet."

His _old_ uniform? He'd only ever had the one. 

"I'm sorry, Raven." Ulf sounded genuinely sad. "You might find this hurtful, but we're going to try something, in hopes that you can be strong enough if you're needed."

He let out a whimper. Was he going to be punished? Trained? So often they were the same things.

Master and Ulf wheeled two large screens in front of him. As they turned the screens on, Ulf said, "Joe doesn't know we're doing this. Unfortunately, he's underestimating the threat."

Both screens flared to life. The one on his right showed footage of him, some of it from battle, some from around the base. The one on the left showed another figure that made him snarl, aching to tear it apart.

"Raven," said Master, "as I believe you know, that is Gatchaman. This is who you were, before Katse broke him."

Tremors shook his body even through the paralysis. His former master had punished him time and time again, berating him for letting Gatchaman gain control and interfere. He'd never really understood how it happened, or even how to stop him, but he'd tried. 

"He's also known as the Eagle, or G-1," said Ulf. "His real name is Ken Washio."

Raven trembled harder under the riot of emotions. He _hated_ Gatchaman, hated and feared him. Seeing footage of him in his uniform in combat, it was easy to believe this was all a lie. It had to be a lie. Where did he come from if he was Gatchaman?

"Dr. Nambu has sent us footage of Ken out of uniform." Ulf spoke softly, his hand still on the clear case.

Footage started playing of him, but it wasn't him. Gatchaman — Ken — had no tattoos. They turned on the volume for Ken's footage, but left the volume off for Raven's. He recognized his own voice, though Ken spoke differently. No matter how much he didn't want to believe it, he could see it was true, they were the same or twins. 

They made him watch Ken brief the others. He saw Ken hanging out in some kind of break room, watching him roughhouse with the Condor. The two of them looked close, close and happy. Was this why the Condor kept asking those questions? Was this why he'd been so distant?

"I'm adjusting the settings to give you limited movement," said Master.

The moment Raven could, he clenched his eyes shut, not caring that tears streamed freely. "What am I?"

"You're a separate personality." Ulf still spoke softly. "Katse tortured Ken until things were so bad that he created you."

Born into pain. He was born into terrible pain. Anger raged, but he couldn't get up, which just made it burn hotter. "So he made me to suffer? Left me there to suffer, and hid?"

"Not on purpose," said Ulf. "I doubt he had any idea. As far as we can tell, he's barely aware of you. You've had almost full control since you were born, yes?"

Raven remembered blackouts. Waking up so many times to find he'd displeased Master. And the other day, when he woke up in the lab's back corner. Thinking carefully, he remembered the Condor finally taking him, but not all of it. Had Ken stolen that incredible moment for himself?

That was _his_ memory. _His_ reward. How did Gatchaman have the right?

"Raven," said Master, his voice firm, "Katse raised you to be weak and obedient. If you face him again, Katse will use that against you, try to take you back."

Just the thought of the punishment he'd receive had Raven moaning in fear. He shook his head, pleading. "I can't go back. I can't."

"Then Katse will capture Joe." Master gestured toward the screens. "He'll torture and break him, turn him against you the way that Katse turned you and Gatchaman against one another." 

But he couldn't … didn't Master see he couldn't? Raven sobbed, not wanting to hear the Condor's screams. "Make him come home. Don't let him go."

"It's too late. By now he's joined the others." 

Master turned away, going to do something else. Staring into Ulf's gentle eyes, Raven saw fear, real fear. 

"Find your strength, Raven," said Ulf. "Find it soon. Notice how we've arranged the screens. Use that to reach him, and let him reach you."

Ulf walked away, leaving him alone with the footage. Even the thought of fighting his former master filled him with a cold dread. Watching Gatchaman, though …

"Could he? Could he fight?"

"I believe so," said Ulf with a chuckle. "He thought one of us was Katse in disguise when he emerged. There was violence."

Raven shuddered at the thought of willingly giving himself over. Watching those crimson and white wings made him want to smash things. This life was _his_ , now. He'd earned it. He'd earned the Condor's love.

Alone in the dark … just him and the ghosts …

Never again. Never.

### 

Joe tensed at the roar of engines. He'd stashed the car, knowing the Condor Attacker waited on board the new God Phoenix. Any moment now, the ship would appear among the bluffs, and he'd finally have to face the others.

His first glimpse of the warbird from this height, seen straight on from the front, did look vaguely like a bird of prey. Unfortunately, as it flew closer and hovered, the effect was lost. Giant chicken. Definitely a giant chicken.

But now he was stalling. Time to man up. Joe took to the air, his body easily flaring out to glide. Grateful for muscle memory, he landed on the platform he'd watched them use from afar, swallowing hard as it carried him inside.

Four familiar faces soon stared at him. Confused over who was flying the ship, Joe glanced past them, spotting a robot at the controls.

"That's Pilma," said Ryu. "Autopilot and onboard computer."

"Oh." Joe noted that Mako hung back, watching from her wheelchair by Pilma. Jun, Jinpei, and Ryu stood closer, staring with a desperate intensity that made him wish he hadn't come.

"Pilma," said Jun softly, "what's our ETA?"

Lights blinked on top of Pilma's head. "Ten minutes."

Jun nodded, then turned to Joe, crossing her arms. "That's ten minutes to talk."

K'so, she wasn't gonna make this easy, was she? "I didn't know what to say."

"Let's start with, 'Hello,'" she said. "Then we can move on to, 'Hey guys, I really missed you.'" 

"If … if you did miss us," said Jinpei, shuffling a foot.

Joe coughed to clear his throat. "I did. You know that."

"No we don't." Ryu huffed. "If you missed, us you would have contacted us."

The depth of hurt in Ryu's eyes stung. Joe stared at the floor. "I've been busy. And I wasn't sure, once you realized what I am …"

They stared at him a moment longer. Then Jun, Jinpei, and Ryu came forward to hug him. 

"We don't care, you idiot," said Jun with a warm smile. 

Jinpei started squeezing Joe's arm. "You feel normal."

"Jinpei!" Jun swatted at his head, but Jinpei dodged with an unrepentant grin. 

Strangely, Jinpei's usual straightforward response made Joe feel better. "It's all right. Let him get it out of his system."

The gleam in Jinpei's eyes made him worry, though. Jinpei started walking around him, poking and prodding. 

Joe sighed. "You grab my ass, kid, and we're gonna have words." 

At Jinpei's impish grin, Jun giggled. 

Ryu fidgeted, leaning against a chair. "How's K … uh Raven?" 

"He can't hear you," said Joe, his tone dry. "Or they can't. Whatever. It's complicated."

Mako continued staring, beautiful as always. Her gaze was piercing, like she was looking right through him. Maybe she was.

"Hey, Mako." Joe tried to manage a smile. 

"What's it like?" 

He didn't need to ask what she meant. "Different. In so many ways."

Hesitation flashed over her features. "Is it worth it?"

There was the million-dollar question. Joe shrugged. "Ask me in another year."

She stared a moment longer, then nodded, turning to disengage Pilma. Joe saw Jun hesitate, glancing at him. Did she expect him to take control? Would she even want that? "How do you want to handle this?"

Now she looked hesitant. After a moment, she squared her shoulders. "You haven't fought with us in a while. I'll lead the team."

Joe nodded, smiling in approval. She'd really come into her own. Ken would be proud.

"We have visual." 

Mako's no-nonsense tone didn't prepare Joe for what he saw ahead. The valley gave him a bad feeling of deja vu. This one, though, wasn't filled with a ghost town. Instead, there was some kind of large complex, a collection of warehouses and homes.

"I don't like this," said Jun. "Stay frosty, everyone."

She shot a glance at Joe. He grinned at her stealing Ken's line, which sparked a smile of her own. Fuck, he missed this. How did he get it through to them that he still couldn't come back for good?

"Set down in the mountains." Jun pointed to a plateau near the valley. "There."

Mako was already banking the ship. With practiced ease, Joe adjusted his balance. "I don't like this either. Feels like another setup."

"Hakase said he and Raphael have a back-up plan, just in case." Jun tapped her chin a moment. "We'll go in on foot. There's no approach that would conceal our vehicles."

That was part of what bothered him. Too convenient. "Raphael mentioned that too. I didn't have time to ask what that was."

"Me either."

They stared at each other a moment, then Joe grinned. "Ready to raise some hell?"

Her emerald eyes practically sparkled. "You bet."

"I'll be watching," said Mako. 

She started working the controls, and the ship's display fractured, showing views from each of their helms. Joe blinked when even his showed up.

"If this goes badly wrong, get out and report," said Jun. 

"Yeah, yeah." Mako pressed the button to open the hatch.

They left the ship and fanned out. Each of them worked down the mountains, using rocks and shrubs for cover. Every step Joe took, his sense that something was terribly wrong grew worse. He nearly told them all to turn back, but this time they had the full team, and their ship. This time they were ready.

At least, he sure as hell hoped so. They reached the town's boundaries, each coming from different directions. People went about their daily routines, completely unaware, and so far Joe hadn't seen a single goon.

Then his leg gave out. He went down hard on his knee, cursing under his breath. Raising his arm, he whispered into his bracelet. "Trouble."

Static. Fuck. 

Joe struggled to get upright. His other leg went out. 

He hadn't wanted to believe Katse survived, but this trap had his fingerprints all over it. Did Gel Sadra have the brains to pull something like this off?

Joe wasn't so sure. Shots rang out, and as Joe's body failed further, he leaned back so he wouldn't fall onto his stomach and be blind. Fortunately, he hadn't brought Raven. Joe heard the others calling out, re-grouping. Trying to answer did no good. He collapsed, barely able to blink, let alone shout. 

Staring at the sky above, he hoped that backup plan was a good one. They sure as hell were gonna need it.

### 

Raven stared at the images, trembling, no longer able to think. A hand clapped in front of his face. He jerked, then realized he was sitting up.

With a stern expression, Master held out his gear. "They're in grave danger. They need you."

"No! I can't!" Raven trembled and backed away.

"The Condor needs you!" Master scowled, thrusting Raven's gear into his arms. "If you fail, you'll lose him."

This couldn't be happening. The Condor wouldn't leave him all alone, would he? Hadn't he promised he'd come back?

Raven started to dress, still shaking. Master placed a bracelet around Raven's wrist, fastening it, before Raven put on his gloves. 

Once he finished dressing, Master grabbed his shoulders. "Joe's wearing a sensor net. I know exactly how to override what Katse's doing."

"So why …"

Master gripped his shoulders harder. "There's a device in each of your boots. We'll tell you exactly where to land. You need to land hard on the balls of your feet."

Raven shook his head. He couldn't do this. 

"Joe is immobilized. When you land, the devices will punch into the earth. They'll send out signals that will free Joe to move, though not immediately. You have to buy him time, Raven. You _have_ to." Master kept shaking his shoulders, forcing Raven to listen.

The Condor would scream. Raven's former master would hurt him, and he'd scream. He'd scream and break and Raven would be all alone, alone again in the dark.

"Your display will show you where to go," said Ulf. "We'll talk to you. You won't be alone."

But he would. He'd be alone. Still trembling, Raven nodded. 

"Now go. Fly!" Master nudged him toward the hangar. 

Raven ran. He ran as fast as he could, not launching until he was outside. His display pointed east, so he banked, then shot toward where he was needed.

The Condor _needed_ him. He _had_ to do this. He had to …

Never alone. Never again.

### 

Joe was ready to fucking scream. He even tried, but he couldn't. The quiet town had exploded into a war zone. All around him, things were exploding, shots were firing, cannons were pulsing, and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it.

Heavy, booted feet thundered toward him. Cyborg senses counted fourteen people, probably men. A burst of energy let him barely turn his head. Yup, green-suited soldiers.

Time to experience Katse's hospitality. At least Katse couldn't take his humanity. That was already gone.

What would this do to Raven, though? He'd promised he'd be back. 

Joe was so focused on the troops, that he didn't hear the other feet until Jun leaped over him in a flash of white panties. She moved with the grace of a seriously pissed gazelle, sliding to a stop as she whipped out the crazy pink ribbon she now used for a weapon. 

Four men went down. Jun let out a piercing whistle, making Joe want to scream again. 

"Jun … go …" 

"Fuck you, Asakura." 

Joe couldn't help himself. He grinned. She _had_ gotten hard. He liked it.

He couldn't move well enough to track who else was there. Brown and green, then orange and red, soon joined Jun's pink and white. All of them dancing over and around him, protecting him in a flurry of spinning, kicking, punching death. 

His eyes stung. Maybe Nambu was right. Maybe he should get Raphael to allow a specialist, so Ken and Raven could be brought to the team's new base. Ken would heal better within reach of his family. Both of them would.

The scream of engines announced that the battle extended to the sky. Above them, the new God Phoenix tore like a crazed — if chicken-like — bird of war. It fought sleek Galactor jets, and parts of a mecha that snaked great tentacles out of the ground.

Here he was, fucking World War III right over his head, and there was still nothing he could do about it. Hopefully leaving Mako up top meant she could report in. That backup was welcome at any time. Any time at all.


	12. Chapter 12

Raven wanted nothing more than to turn back. The Condor needed him, though, so he pushed his jets to maximum capacity. He could do this. At the very least, he could land and plant the devices.

"Approaching the insertion point," said Ulf in his ear. "Focus on that. Only that."

"Okay." 

Ulf started counting down, while Raven's display showed him the curve he needed to follow. Ahead, jets twisted and dove, firing lasers and missiles. He dodged them with ease. The Condor needed him. Nothing could stop him.

"You'll see three red fighters approaching," said Ulf. "The Red Impulse Squad. They're friendly, Raven. Friendly."

Raven ignored him. He arced, slicing down and flipping. His display showed him following the curve perfectly, and he made no attempt to slow his descent. Gathering himself, he bent his legs, slamming down so hard that he cried out in pain despite his cybernetics.

"Units one and two both deployed." Ulf cheered. "Perfect, Raven. Perfect!"

He panted and smiled. Glancing around, there were Galactor uniforms everywhere. Enemies. They were enemies. Trembling, he rose to his feet. 

"Raven, find Joe. Find the Condor."

"Hai." Raven fired his jets again, flying low over the town. He couldn't stop shaking. 

When he finally spotted the Condor, his heart sank. Why was he on the ground? Was he hurt? Other members of the team were fighting over him, a ring of bodies building up around him. Why wasn't he moving?

Raven shot toward them. The Condor was his! 

"Friends, Raven!" Ulf yelled in his ear. "The Science Ninjas are friends!"

Slamming down next to the Condor, Raven snarled at them. Their eyes widened, but they widened their dance of death, making room for him. 

"Raven … what …" 

He tried to go to his lover, but two soldiers came at him. With a screech, he took them down, kicking their stomachs so hard he snapped their spines. 

"You'll be okay." Raven dropped down next to him. "Master sent me. You'll be okay."

"No … go …"

Trembling, Raven crouched beside the Condor. No one would touch him. Then laughter echoed through the valley. A mocking, confident laugh that Raven knew all too well.

"No, no, no …" Raven made himself smaller, trying to shield his lover. His former master couldn't be here. He had to be dead.

"Raven … GO …" Steel-blue eyes stared up at him, pleading.

Shaking his head, Raven tried to stand firm. He wouldn't give up on the Condor. He'd protect him.

"I knew you'd come, my beautiful boy," cooed Raven's former master from above. "Return to Master. Return now and bring the Condor, and you won't even be punished."

He was _always_ punished. Raven trembled, sobbing. 

"Oh God, there's so many of them," gasped the Swan.

Raven looked up. The rest of the team had gathered tightly around them, forming a triangle. 

"Return now, Raven." His former master's voice grew more stern. "Return now, and bring the Condor."

Below him, the Condor stirred. Gloved hands weakly took hold of Raven's cheeks. They nearly fell away, but Raven grabbed his wrists, not wanting him to let go.

"If you can't fight, run."

Raven took in the growing number of troops. His former master's laugh echoed around them, and he could feel his will failing. Was he that weak? Would he take the Condor with him, doom him to so much pain?

"Bring him to me, Raven," ordered his former master. "If you make me come for him, you will never be with him again."

"Run … RUN!"

The Condor's grip was getting stronger, but not fast enough. Around them, the troops were advancing, and Raven didn't see how three humans could hold them off. 

Sobbing again, Raven knew what he had to do. "Call him. Please."

"Call who?" The Condor watched him, his gaze searching. "Call who, Raven?"

"Do you want him to come?" Ulf spoke in his ear. "Do you want Ken to come?"

Raven saw the Condor jerk, hearing as well. He nodded, frantic as his former Master kept demanding, his fear threatening to drown his will. "I can't … please, I can't …"

"Ken! Gatchaman! Eagle!" Ulf yelled into his ear. 

Rage flared, but he fought it. Feeling the love in the Condor's tender gaze, Raven focused on him as he joined the call.

"Gatchaman, report! G-1, report!" 

The Condor's grip continued getting stronger. So slow … not fast enough …

Above him, the others joined in calling Ken. Raven tried to drown in his lover's gaze. He felt a flicker, a flutter of awareness like feathers. The Eagle … the Condor needed the Eagle …

"I love you," Raven whispered. Then everything went white.

### 

Joe had just enough strength. When Raven blacked out, he was able to catch him, pulling him into his arms. What the fuck were they thinking? Why did they send him?

He nearly sat up, but right then they had a stalemate. The Galactor troops hung back, watching, and above him the team looked close to catching their breaths. Even the fighters above lazily circled and hovered. Everyone waiting on one person, to see if Raven would obey.

In his arms, Raven stirred. He rolled onto his side, looking around in confusion. Something about his expression had Joe's heart pounding. Had it really worked?

"G-2, report." Ken's voice sounded rusty. 

Joe looked up. Jun, Ryu, and Jinpei's heads had all snapped toward them, eyes wide. He grinned. "Welcome back, Commander. Ready to kick some Galactor ass?" 

Snarling, Ken sat up. "Fuck yes."

Joe moved with him. The troops watched them warily as they both got to their feet. 

Next to him, Ken raised his wrist. "Bird go!"

That flash of white, rainbow-swirled light was the most beautiful thing Joe had ever seen. His commander, his best friend, and the man he loved all stood next to him in gleaming white, blue, and crimson. The tattoos visible on his face and throat took nothing from the moment. 

Gatchaman was back. And from the raw fury curling his lips and burning in those bright blue eyes, Gatchaman was pissed.

### 

Ken shook with hate. Above, he could hear Katse taunting, but in front of him were flesh and blood troops. The same troops who tortured and raped him, laughing and joking.

He pulled his boomerang from its holster and explosives from their pouch. Joe was at his back, literally pressing against him. His solid warmth gave Ken strength as he grinned, saying, "None of them leaves alive."

"Amen," Joe growled.

With a shout of pure rage, Ken came at them. He'd never fought as a cyborg, but his body knew how to move, compensating on its own. Every throw, kick, leap, and punch was bigger than he'd ever done before. Yet he never missed, his boomerang slicing throat after Galactor throat, slapping perfectly back into his hand.

Only habit kept him aware of where the others were. Whenever he started to lose himself, a voice in his ear would yell at him. "Gatchaman!"

Maybe he'd gone mad. He had no idea, and frankly, he didn't care. As long as the voice prevented him from hurting friends, it was welcome. 

The troops kept coming. Somehow Joe stayed by his side. Ken didn't question it, basking in his vengeance. There would never be enough blood and gore, never enough Galactor bodies, and nothing would stand in his way. Not missiles, pulse cannons, laser rifles, or giant metallic fucking tentacles. 

Katse's voice spurred him on. Enemies thinned, and Ken realized the voice was moving. Darting and leaping, he reached the nearest roof, tearing from building to building. The purple bastard was here somewhere, he knew it. 

Then he saw the ship. Dark and looming, it hovered on the edge of town, different from all the rest. Grinning, he sped toward it. Katse was there. All he had to do was reach that ship, and Katse would be dead.

Voices screamed in his ear. More screamed through his wrist. He ignored them, heeding only his need for Katse's blood, but something slammed into him with the force of a truck. They skidded across the roof and fell, crashing into the next building's wall, then slid down to smack into the ground below. 

"What the fuck?" he snarled, trying to get up.

"Ken, no! It's a trap." Joe gripped his cowl, pulling.

"He has to die!" No matter what Ken did, though, he couldn't break free. He screamed and thrashed, but Joe dragged him farther and farther from the ship. The betrayal tore at his heart. Out of all of them, Joe should understand. Instead, Joe hauled him back to the team, then toward a strange, bird-like ship.

Ken dug his heels in, thrashing again. "I am _not_ boarding that … that … giant fucking chicken! Let me go! He has to die! They all have to die!"

There was a chorus of gasps. Joe coughed, then made a strange sound, then started laughing. Spinning, Ken took a swing at him. His punch connected, but Joe just rocked, then returned to dragging him toward the hideous plane.

"Told you it looks like a chicken," muttered Jinpei.

"You guys are great for morale," grumbled Jun.

With a snarl, Ken made one last stand at the entrance. It did him no good. Joe just yanked him through the door, then the jets fired, weighing them all down as they shot vertically into the sky. 

Ken seethed as the ship turned, then sped them away from the enemy. "Why are we running? We had them!"

"Because it was a giant trap," said Joe. "Remember when you got captured? That kind of trap."

Remember? The day came rushing back, the last time he did anything just for himself, of his own free will. The last time until today. 

"I don't care. Don't you get it?" Ken surged in close, grabbing Joe's cowl. "I … don't … care!"

"Well, I do." Joe tilted his head a moment, then tilted it another way. Grumbling under his breath, he reached up, and Ken found himself nearly blinded as Joe de-activated his transformation.

As usual, Joe was a master at hiding his thoughts. Memory of their last moments together — the confession, kiss, and punch — rushed back. Was Joe angry? Did Joe think he'd lost it even before his capture?

It didn't matter. They couldn't keep him on this ship. Ken moved to yank away, and felt a click from his wrist. Blinding light and the electric rush of transformation just deepened the sickening sense of betrayal. Tears stung Ken's eyes, which just pissed him off more. "What the hell is your problem?"

Joe pulled him close, staring intently into his eyes. Then Joe was kissing him, crushing against him, urgent and demanding. Ken didn't know if the ship spun or he did, but his knees turned to jelly. By the time Joe pulled away, they were both panting. Afraid this was just some form of revenge, Ken dared to look at him, trying to understand. 

"I care, you fucking idiot." Joe kept hold of him, not letting him back away. "I'm not letting Katse hurt you again. I love you."

Ken shook his head, starting to tremble. No, it couldn't be true. Joe wouldn't, he couldn't. He'd never seen Joe so much look at him or another guy that way. Plus, even if by some miracle Joe was interested, who would want him now? If Joe knew …

"Like … like a brother …" Ken looked down and tried to pull away.

"Christ, Ken, you're thick in the head." Joe chuckled, holding him so close that Ken felt his friend's stomach move with the soft laughter. "Who the hell kisses their brother like that?"

It wasn't possible. If Joe knew …

Ken's skin started to crawl from the contact. He let out a sob, gripping Joe's arms. He never wanted Joe to let go, but it was too much, filling his head with too many things he wanted to forget.

A soft touch to his shoulder nearly made him scream. Jerking, Ken turned, to find Jun watching him with tear-filled emerald eyes and damp cheeks. 

She held out an emergency blanket. "You're shaking. Please, sit."

Feeling almost numb, Ken let Joe and Jun steer him to a chair. He couldn't stop trembling. Though he wasn't cold, he let them wrap him in the blanket. Joe's solid presence settled next to him, the hand on his shoulder comforting, rather than overwhelming.

"G-Town in twenty," said an unfamiliar female voice. 

Ken glanced toward the front, finally noticing the woman in the wheelchair. From her long, black hair, he guessed she was Mako, the Hawk. 

Joe's hand tightened on his shoulder. "I don't know …"

"Hakase and Dr. Raphael agreed," said Jun. 

Tensing, Ken tried to get up. 

Joe's hand on his shoulder firmly kept him in place. "Ken, it's fine. Raphael's with us now."

Fine? He shook harder. Nothing would ever be fine.

"Ken … look at me."

Heart hammering, Ken looked up at Joe. 

Joe's grip on his shoulder loosened slightly. "Do you trust me?" 

In his gut, Ken knew the worry he saw in Joe was real. That Joe, himself, was real. He nodded, too exhausted to fight it anymore. 

"We'll get through this. All of it."

Ken found that hard to believe. Too tired to argue, he closed his eyes, trying to feel safe on this strange ship. 

A few minutes of listening to mostly-familiar voices calmed him. Peeking his eyes open, he watched Jun, Jinpei, and Ryu at their stations. He hadn't spoken a word to them, had he? Grimacing, he searched for something to say. "Thank you, all of you, for rescuing me."

Silence answered him. Joe started laughing. Jinpei snickered and joined him. Soon everyone was laughing, even Mako, and Ken sunk further into the blanket. 

Joe slapped his shoulder, making him jerk. "Ken, the only thing we did was keep you from following Katse into his ship."

"That wasn't us," grumbled Jinpei. "That was you, Joe."

"But …" Ken frowned, wondering how he got here then.

Joe was silent a moment, cocking his head, like he was listening to something. He nodded and then leaned against the chair. "I don't have the whole story yet, but we were worried this was a setup. We got here and sure enough, it was a trap. At that point, you were still with Raphael."

Why didn't he remember? Ken looked down at his hands, then saw that he was wearing black gloves. Shuddering, he ripped them, throwing them to the floor.

Joe squeezed his shoulder. "Katse expected both of us. Either way, there was some kind of effect in the valley. I couldn't move. It immobilized my cybernetics."

Cybernetics … Ken stared up at him, heart sinking. It made sense, it was the only way Joe could have dragged him to the ship, let alone kept up with him.

"Ulf was just explaining," said Joe, pointing to his ear, "that they sent you here to install equipment to counteract the effect."

Ken tried to understand his expression. Anger, worry, relief, all flickered through those steel-grey eyes, across those rugged features. Looking around nervously, Ken said, "I don't remember. I don't remember coming here."

"It wasn't really you." Joe glanced to the gloves, then back to him.

Clenching his teeth, Ken fought back a surge of anger. "Raven. They sent that fucking monster?"

Joe flinched. Sadness filled his gaze. "Raven's more than what Katse made him. He's had months to become his own person."

Shooting to his feet, Ken turned on him. "How could you defend him? Do you know what he's done? Do you know how many times I woke up covered in blood, innocent civilians dead all around me?"

"Ken," said Jun, standing. "He saved us. We'd be dead or captured. I didn't think we'd get out."

"No!" Ken lifted his hands, ignoring their trembling. "He mauled them like some kind of animal! They were screaming, pleading …"

Joe turned him and grabbed his shoulders. "Katse was demanding that Raven surrender and bring me to him. He was so frightened, Ken. Terrified."

"Good!" Ken didn't understand. How could they possibly defend him? 

"I heard him, Ken," said Jun. "He knew he couldn't hold out. He told us to call you."

"Raven was raised to hate you." Joe shook him a bit, forcing Ken to look into those intense eyes. "He was raised to keep you away, punished every time you took control."

"Well, the hate's mutual." Ken's fury was fading. So tired, he was so tired. His knees gave and Joe helped him back into his seat. 

"We'll sort it all out. I promise."

Too tired to argue, Ken just nodded. He didn't want to fight anymore. He just wanted to sleep. Maybe life would finally take pity and he wouldn't wake up. 

### 

Joe listened with the others, as Nambu and Raphael explained what had happened. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You're telling me that you tortured Raven after I left?"

At least Nambu had the grace to shift uncomfortably in his seat. Over the monitor, Raphael looked his usual unrepentant self. 

"There was no time to coddle him," said Raphael. "Raven had to understand the stakes. He had to understand that Ken wasn't the enemy. You can't argue with the results."

"But I can sure as hell argue with the methods," Joe answered through clenched teeth. 

"What happens now?" asked Jun. She glanced to the other screen, showing Ken — or Raven — sleeping in the large, secured quarters Nambu had prepared. 

Nambu cleared his throat. "If everyone agrees," he said, glancing to Joe, "They can stay here. Raphael examined his quarters' design and says they'll hold Ken and Raven if necessary. He's also agreed to duplicate some of his lab here."

Frowning, Joe looked to the screen showing Raphael. "What parts?"

"The charging and scanning stations, for one," the doctor said. "Moving the two of you back and forth for charging and examinations opens you both to Katse's attacks. Not to mention Raven's knack for getting out of hand."

Joe snorted. "Like that won't be a problem locking him down in quarters."

"We've placed them at the end of a wing," said Nambu. "The whole area's being reinforced to give him more space. Your quarters can be in there if you want, though you'll be able to come and go as you please."

Like he'd leave Ken and Raven alone essentially in prison. Joe nodded.

"The specialist has been here for some time." Nambu gestured to the screen showing Ken sleeping, and the image split, showing a prim brown-haired woman with glasses. "We didn't want to risk Galactor replacing her."

Nambu spared a sad glance toward Mako, who closed her eyes, looking away. 

"I'm sorry, Mako," Joe said awkwardly. 

She shrugged, looking toward the screens. "Dr. Raphael, I'd like to talk to you before you hang up."

"I thought you might, child."

Joe noted her flash of annoyance and held back a smile. Oddly, he was okay with any decision she made. Maybe because it really was _her_ decision. It wasn't being made _for_ her.

"No more secret sessions while I'm out," said Joe, glaring at both doctors.

Nambu slightly inclined his head. It wasn't a full agreement, but it was an acknowledgment that he'd try not to. Probably the best he was going to get for the moment. 

Something else struck him. Hoping he wasn't going to blush, he added, "And no surveillance in my private quarters." 

Everyone stared. Joe blustered his best glare, but he could see he didn't have them fooled. 

"Joe can defend himself if things go wrong," said Raphael, his expression neutral as usual.

K'so, now they were grinning. "Anything else?" he asked through clenched teeth.

"We'll give you the base tour and show your options for quarters," said Nambu, standing. "Mako can catch up when she's finished with Dr. Raphael."

"It'll be a while," she said, pulling up in front of the doctor's screen.

"Take your time." 

Joe followed Jun, Jinpei, and Ryu into the hall, Nambu coming after them. The silence felt awkward. "So I see everything has G's on it still."

"We wanted to honor Ken," said Jun. "Not use his title, but the G. It seemed right at the time."

"I'm sure he'll appreciate it." 

"How long has he been emerging?" 

Nambu's question made Joe pause. "It's hard to say. There have been some times I wasn't sure. There was definitely one time at Raphael's, and the other just now in the field."

More awkward silence. Joe didn't really have anything else to say, so he was glad when they started pointing things out for the tour. This place was huge. Way bigger than Crescent Coral Base, bigger than even two of them put together, and a lot fancier. 

"These are the transport tubes!" Jinpei pointed at what looked like huge glass hamster tubes. "We use those to report to the office or ship."

"Riiiiight." Joe would believe that when he saw it. 

Their knowing grins, though, made him wonder what else he was in for. At least they were home. The place was different, but awkward as this all was, this was family. 

And family meant home. 

Joe hadn't forgotten his purpose. Together, he and Ken would reach and destroy Sosai X. In the meantime, though, maybe they'd earned the right to be a bit selfish. They could enjoy their family, and have a chance to say goodbye.

Depending on how far Mako went with her surgery, Joe was even okay with letting her join them. Again, that would be her choice, if she wanted to avenge Getz. 

Maybe she'd choose the harder path. To live, build a new life in a world without Galactor. He wouldn't begrudge her that either. Frankly, he'd be happier if she and Ken let him go alone, but he wasn't stupid or selfish enough to believe Ken would stand for that.

Joe would rather Ken live. Not enough, though, to perpetrate the ultimate cruelty. How could he accept Ken's love, help him heal, and then leave him alone for a cyborg's lifetime?

No, that would be Ken's choice. One Joe was sure he'd already made. At least they'd leave the world a better place behind them. And both of them would have their vengeance.

Neither of them would die alone.

### 

Raven woke in a strange room. It was big, bigger than his bedroom at the base, but he didn't know it. Was he captured? Did his former master take him back?

He hunched on the bed, trembling. His gear was gone, replaced with jeans and a t-shirt. His former master wouldn't have chosen this. That didn't make Raven any less frightened.

A door opened. Raven whimpered, scuttling back across the bed, then let out a sob as the Condor entered the room. He jumped to his feet and leapt into waiting arms, while his lover staggered under the onslaught.

"It's okay," said the Condor, patting his back. "We'll be staying here a while."

Somehow that didn't soothe Raven's nerves. "Why here? Where are we?"

The Condor led him to the bed. Raven went with him, sitting when he did, and leaned against him. 

"We belong here," said the Condor, sliding arms around him. "I know you don't remember it, but the team is our family. Raphael's agreed that here you can get the help you need."

Raven picked at the Condor's jeans. "I don't need help. I just need you." 

"Aren't you tired of being afraid? Of having to hide?" 

He shrugged, still picking at his lover's jeans. If they stayed here, among the Condor's friends, why would the Condor want to be with him anymore? "I want to go home."

The Condor's chest rose and fell in a sigh. "Raven, this is home. I'm staying."

Then he didn't have a choice, did he? "You won't leave me all alone?"

"I won't. I promise." The Condor pulled him closer. "You'll even make new friends. Well, new to you."

Raven frowned. " _His_ friends?"

"Yes. Ken's friends."

He felt the Condor tense, waiting. Rage threatened to boil over, but more than ever, Raven didn't want them to see him as defective. "They don't want _me_. Why would they want _me_? They want _him._ "

The Condor reached up, stroking his hair. "If you'll give them a chance, they'll give you one."

Raven clutched the Condor's arm. He didn't understand why he was so afraid. It wasn't like they could hurt him. They could barely touch him. "Just don't leave me." 

"I won't." The Condor kissed the top of his head. "They're setting up a whole wing for the two of us to stay in together. This base of theirs is massive."

As his lover told him all about the base, about what it would be like to live here, Raven barely listened. All that mattered was that the Condor would be with him. As long as he had the Condor, he'd never feel alone.


End file.
